By an Act of Congress, U.S. currency has carried the motto "In God We Trust" since 1957. In 1955, Congress passed a law requiring that "In God We Trust" appear on all U.S. coins and currency. The first paper currency with the motto appeared in 1957. "In God We Trust" did appear occasionally on a few coins, starting with a 2-cent piece in the 1860s, in an attempt to put "God" on the side of the north during the Civil War. In 1956, an Act of Congress adopted "In God We Trust" as a national motto. The original motto, "E Pluribus Unum" ("out of many, one,") celebrating plurality, still appears on the Presidential Seal and on some paper currency.