US Mint Creates Coins Without 'In God We Trust'

In God We Trust. In machines? Not so much. That's what the US Mint is saying after an unknown number of new George Washington dollar coins were mistakenly struck without their edge inscriptions, including "In God We Trust".

The Mint released more than 300 million gold-colour, George Washington $1 coins last month, but it recently discovered a problem. The coins, made by the Philadelphia Mint, were supposed to have the inscriptions "In God We Trust", "E Pluribus Unum", the date and the mint mark around the edge.

It is unclear how the mistake occurred or how many of the coins are in circulation, according to the Mint. "The United States Mint understands the importance of the inscriptions 'In God We Trust' and 'E Pluribus Unum' as well as the mint mark and year on US. coinage. We take this matter seriously", it said in a statement.

Ron Guth from one of the world's largest coin authentication companies explains: "These coins are struck like normal coins, then they go through another machine that adds edge lettering in another process. These apparently skipped that process".

The coin's design has already spurred conspiracy theories claiming that the religious motto was purposely omitted.

It is the first US coin to have words stamped around the edge since the storied 1933 $20 gold "double eagle", among the rarest and most valuable in the world. In 2002, a 1933 double eagle sold for $7.59 million � the highest price ever paid for a coin.

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