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This is from the New York Times’ editorial on Mitt Romney’s recent speech:

Mr. Romney dragged out the old chestnuts about “In God We Trust” on the nation’s currency, and the inclusion of “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance — conveniently omitting that those weren’t the founders’ handiwork, but were adopted in the 1950s at the height of McCarthyism.

That’s not quite right. The motto “In God We Trust” first appeared on U.S. coins during the Civil War. Although there have been periods when it was removed, the motto has appeared on all U.S. coins for nearly 100 years.

The motto was later added to U.S. paper currency in October 1957, which wasn’t exactly “the height of McCarthyism,” considering that the senator had been dead for five months.

The Treasury Department's website has the details.

Posted by edelfenbein at December 9, 2007 3:04 PM