President Theodore Roosevelt handpicked sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens to create what would later be referred to as the Double Eagle, which is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful examples of American coinage. However, because “IN GOD WE TRUST” wasn’t included in the coin’s first minting in 1908, the coin was not well received initially. Congress subsequently passed a law mandating that the phrase be included on all United States coinage. In the middle of 1908, the U.S. Mint ceased production of the “No Motto” Saint-Gaudens, replacing the original design with a version that included “IN GOD WE TRUST” on the reverse below the flying eagle.
