Rotary Centennial Park

James Pollock, a Milton native born on September 11, 1810, became a lawyer, served in the Pennsylvania General Assembly, was elected governor of Pennsylvania from 1855 to 1858, and was appointed by President Abraham Lincoln as Director of the U.S. Mint in 1861. According to the Library of Congress, Pollock is officially recognized as the originator of the motto "In God We Trust," which was placed on the 1864 two-cent coin, the first coin minted by the United States to bear that inscription. The motto was adopted largely because of increased religious sentiment during the Civil War and appeals from devout people urging the nation to recognize the Deity on its coins. Congress authorized the two-cent coin in the Act of April 22, 1864, and "In God We Trust" was eventually placed on all U.S. coins and currency. On July 30, 1956, a law passed by the 84th Congress and approved by President Eisenhower declared "In God We Trust" the national motto of the United States.

Milton, Pennsylvania · United States