Kicking things off with a random coin
Just yesterday I grabbed some change for coffee and noticed my dime had “In God We Trust” stamped above Roosevelt’s head. Got me wondering – what’s the big deal with this phrase? Grabbed my laptop right there at the kitchen counter to dig in.
Breaking down the phrase word by word
First I typed “origin of In God We Trust” into my search bar. Found out it wasn’t always on coins! Only got added during the Civil War when some folks panicked about America losing God’s protection. Scrolled through old Treasury Department records showing how ministers pushed hard for this change.
Next I checked why it says “Money” under Roosevelt. Felt pretty dumb when I realized – duh – it’s literal money! But then I remembered dimes never actually have the word “money” printed on them. Must be people shorthand for “currency featuring Roosevelt”.
The Roosevelt connection surprised me most. Always figured Teddy Roosevelt was the big deal president on coins. Wasted twenty minutes learning about his conservation stuff before realizing – oops wrong Roosevelt! Switched to searching Franklin Roosevelt and bingo! His face landed on dimes after he died in 1945 because he fought polio.
Putting it together
Here’s what my coffee-fueled investigation uncovered:
- “In God We Trust” is basically a Civil War era security blanket
- “Money” is just regular folks calling coins what they are
- Roosevelt means FDR specifically – not Teddy!
Funny how we handle these coins daily but never think about the stories stamped on them. Whole investigation took less time than brewing my pot of coffee, but now every time I get a dime in change? That little phrase suddenly means something.
