What was the first U.S. coin to have "In God We Trust" engraved on it?

The first U.S. coin to have “In God We Trust” engraved on it was the 1864 two-cent coin. Its inscription made it a landmark in American coinage and helped popularize the phrase nationally.

The two-cent piece was authorized by the Coinage Act of 1864 during the Civil War, when Americans were hoarding gold, silver, and even copper coins. The new bronze coin helped relieve the shortage of small change. James B. Longacre designed it with a shield and the motto on the obverse.

The wording grew from wartime religious sentiment. In 1861, Reverend Mark R. Watkinson urged Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase to place a reference to God on U.S. coins. Congress later authorized the Mint to use the phrase on one- and two-cent coins.

The motto was not immediately placed on every denomination. A 1865 law permitted its use on suitable gold and silver coins, while “In God We Trust” became the official national motto only in 1956. The two-cent coin itself was discontinued after 1873.