In 1907, Congress forced Roosevelt to put God back on U.S. coins. Here’s why.

Roosevelt and Saint-Gaudens’ "Godless" Coin Controversy

In 1904, Teddy Roosevelt hated how ugly American coins looked.

He called them an “atrocious hideousness” and asked dying sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens to fix them. The two men plotted what Roosevelt called his “pet crime” – making the most beautiful coins in U.S. history.

But they left off “In God We Trust,” since Roosevelt thought God’s name on gambling chips was close to sacrilege. When the “godless” coins hit pockets in 1907, all hell broke loose.

Newspapers raged that Americans must pick “God or Roosevelt. ” Congress soon forced the president to put the motto back.

The Saint-Gaudens National Historical Site in New Hampshire now shows off these controversial masterpieces that once shook the nation.

Teddy Called American Coins “Really Ugly”

In December 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt looked at the coins in his pocket and felt embarrassed.

He called them “artistically of atrocious hideousness” and wanted American money to look as beautiful as ancient Greek coins.

Roosevelt skipped slow Congress and asked Treasury Secretary Leslie Shaw if he could just hire a famous sculptor himself.

Shaw said yes, and Roosevelt began what he later joked was his “pet crime” – secretly planning to remake America’s gold coins without asking lawmakers.

America’s Top Sculptor Joined the Secret Coin Project

Roosevelt knew exactly who he wanted for his coin makeover – Augustus Saint-Gaudens, the most famous American sculptor at that time.

Saint-Gaudens had created popular monuments like the Shaw Memorial in Boston and the Standing Lincoln in Chicago. The two men met at a White House dinner in 1905 to talk about making Greek-style coins.

Saint-Gaudens eagerly agreed to redesign the penny, $10 eagle, and $20 double eagle coins, breaking all rules since nobody outside the Mint had ever designed official American money.

The President and Sculptor Swapped Ideas for Months

Roosevelt and Saint-Gaudens wrote letters throughout 1905 and 1906, sharing thoughts on the coins’ look.

Roosevelt wanted Lady Liberty to wear a Native American headdress instead of the usual French-style cap, saying it felt “more typically American.”

Saint-Gaudens kept working on designs even as colon cancer weakened him.

The project moved slowly because Saint-Gaudens wanted high-relief coins with raised designs like ancient Greek money, but modern minting machines struggled with these.

God’s Name Got Left Off the Coins

Saint-Gaudens wanted clean, simple designs and suggested leaving off “In God We Trust” from the coins. Roosevelt liked this idea but for different reasons.

He thought putting God’s name on money used for gambling or other “ungodly activities” was “irreverence which comes dangerously close to sacrilege.”

The men checked the law books and found the 1873 Coinage Act made the motto optional. They created coins without the religious phrase, not realizing the trouble this would cause later.

Cancer Took the Sculptor Before He Saw His Coins

Saint-Gaudens died from colon cancer on August 3, 1907, never seeing his beautiful coins in people’s hands. His assistant Henry Hering finished the work with Roosevelt pushing hard for completion.

The president ordered Treasury Secretary Cortelyou to make the Mint finish the coins by September 1907.

The Mint’s Chief Engraver Charles Barber got called back from vacation to meet Roosevelt’s deadline and didn’t hide his annoyance at having an outside artist do what he saw as his job.

Minting Machines Couldn’t Handle the Beautiful Designs

Saint-Gaudens created ultra-high relief coins with deeply raised designs that proved impossible to mass-produce. Each coin needed multiple strikes from the press, making them impractical for everyday use.

Only about 20-24 of these ultra-high relief double eagles were ever made as test pieces. Barber had to flatten the design while trying to keep the artistic beauty.

The final public version also changed the Roman numerals (MCMVII) to regular numbers (1907) for easier reading.

The Public Loved the Art But Noticed Something Missing

The first Saint-Gaudens $10 and $20 gold coins reached the public in November 1907.

People marveled at the stunning designs – Lady Liberty wearing a Native American headdress on the $10 coin and a walking Liberty holding a torch and olive branch on the $20 double eagle.

Art critics praised their beauty, but almost immediately, people noticed “In God We Trust” wasn’t there. Religious groups and concerned citizens flooded Congress with angry letters about the new “godless” money.

Newspapers Attacked Roosevelt’s “Godless” Coins

Christian newspapers quickly attacked Roosevelt’s decision to leave God off American money. The Atlanta Constitution told readers they must choose between “God and Roosevelt.”

The Wall Street Journal and Philadelphia Press accused the president of attacking religion itself. Only a few big papers like The New York Times and Chicago Tribune supported Roosevelt’s artistic vision.

The controversy grew daily as more Americans saw the new coins and noticed the missing motto.

Congress Rushed to Put God Back on Money

When Congress returned to work on December 2, 1907, fixing the “godless coins” topped their agenda.

William Brown McKinley, who ran the Committee on Coinage, quickly set up a group to review all the angry petitions they’d received. McKinley then introduced a bill requiring “In God We Trust” on coins.

Roosevelt defended his artistic and religious reasons for removing the motto but said he would follow whatever law Congress passed. He knew he was losing as public opinion turned against him.

Only Two Congressmen Voted to Keep God Off Coins

The McKinley Bill hit the House floor in March 1908 and passed in a landslide. Only two brave representatives voted against putting the motto back on coins.

The bill required “In God We Trust” to appear on all gold and silver coins where it had shown up before.

Roosevelt got ready to sign the bill even though he still believed it was wrong to put God’s name on money that might be used for sinful activities.

His artistic vision for American coinage was about to be overruled.

Roosevelt Admitted Defeat in His “Pet Crime”

On May 18, 1908, Roosevelt signed the McKinley Bill into law, officially ending his “pet crime” experiment. The new law forced the immediate return of “In God We Trust” to all affected coins.

Only 4.9 million “No Motto” Saint-Gaudens double eagles were made before the change, compared to 527,758 “With Motto” versions produced later in 1908.

Congress had successfully overruled a sitting president’s artistic and religious views about American money. The beautiful Saint-Gaudens designs stayed, but Roosevelt’s vision of motto-free coins died.

Visiting Saint-Gaudens National Historical Site, New Hampshire

You can explore Roosevelt’s “Pet Crime” coinage controversy at Saint-Gaudens National Historical Site at 139 Saint Gaudens Road in Cornish. Entry costs $10 for ages 16 and up, with kids 15 and under free.

Buildings are open Thursday-Monday 9am-4:30pm from Memorial Day weekend through October 31, while the grounds stay open dawn to dusk year-round.

Watch an 8-minute film about the Roosevelt coinage project in the gallery.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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