You can't blame the McCarthyites entirely for "In God We Trust." The motto was coined by Salmon P. Chase in 1863 for use on coins, and was approved by the Congress for that purpose in 1864. It was first used on the 1864 two-cent piece. It has appeared on all coins minted in the U.S. since 1938 (it took a brief hiatus from a couple of denominations). It DID become the NATIONAL MOTTO