Since the Civil War, most coins have contained the motto “In God We Trust,” but it wasn’t until 1955 that a law was passed requiring the saying to appear on all U.S. currency, according to the U.S. House of Representatives website. Rep. Charles Bennett, a Democrat from Florida, introduced the bill that would later become law, arguing that the motto would serve as a constant reminder of the country’s spiritual faith. He and others evoked the ensuing Cold War as reasoning for why it was important to include the motto on U.S. currency.