 The Civil War brought economic disturbances which resulted in the removal of some coins , including the base @-@ metal cent , from circulation . Paper currency ( valued as low as three cents ) , postage stamps , and private tokens , filled the gap . Many of the tokens were cent @-@ sized , but thinner and made of bronze . Mint authorities took notice that these metal pieces were successfully circulating , and obtained legislation for a bronze cent . Longacre 's Indian head design continued in its place with the new metal ; later in 1864 he engraved his initial " L " in the headdress . The act which authorized the bronze cent also issued a two @-@ cent piece ; Longacre furnished a design , which Lange calls a " particularly attractive composition " with arrows and a laurel wreath flanking a shield . However , art historian Cornelius Vermeule stated that elements of the design " need only flanking cannon to be the consummate expressions of Civil War heraldry . " Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase favored placing an expression of the nation 's faith in God in a time of war on the coinage , and wrote to Mint Director Pollock , " You will cause a device to be prepared without unnecessary delay with a motto expressing in the fewest <unk> terms possible this national recognition . " Several mottos were considered by Pollock , including " God Our Trust " and " God and Our Country " . Longacre 's two @-@ cent piece was the first coin inscribed with " In God We Trust " . 
