“In God We Trust” first appeared on U.S. coins in 1864, during the Civil War, and it was later put on paper money in 1957. It became the official U.S. national motto in 1956, and that same law required it to be printed on all American paper currency.

Timeline

  • 1864: First used on a U.S. coin, the two-cent piece.
  • 1955: Congress mandated the phrase on all U.S. currency.
  • 1956: It was declared the official national motto.
  • 1957: It first appeared on paper money.

Simple answer

If you mean “when did it go on money,” the best short answer is 1864 for coins and 1957 for paper bills.

TL;DR

The phrase started on coins in the Civil War era and was added to paper currency in the 1950s, after becoming the national motto.