Seated Quarter with Motto (1866-1891) After the Civil War, religious fervor had the motto IN GOD WE TRUST added to the U.S. circulating coinage. It started with the new two-cent piece in 1864, but the epitaph wasn’t added to the quarter dollar until 1866. The motto was placed in a ribbon above the reverse eagle. The inscription remained through the second Arrows variety and remains on the quarter dollar today.