Opinion By Evan F. Nappen, Esq.
The U.S. Mint has dropped the phrase “In GOD We Trust” on the 2023 American Liberty Silver Coin.
The new motto on the 2023 American Liberty Silver Coin says, “We Shall Persevere.” It’s not surprising that during the Biden administration, the motto on the “Liberty” coin isn’t about GOD anymore. Instead, it proclaims, “We Shall Persevere.”
That pretty much sums up what we’re doing, particularly as gun owners, under the Biden regime.
What does “We Shall Persevere” even mean?
When commanded to persevere, one of my favorite movies comes to mind, The Outlaw Josey Wales. Some of you may recall the scene when Jose Wales encounters the old Cherokee, Lone Watie, played by Chief Dan George, who talks about being told to persevere by the Government.
“You know, we got to see the Secretary of the Interior, and he said, ‘Boy, you boys sure look civilized.’ He congratulated us, and he gave us medals for looking so civilized. We told him about how our land had been stolen and our people were dying. When we finished, he shook our hands and said ‘endeavor to persevere’. They stood us in a line: John Jumper, Chili McIntosh, Buffalo Hump, and Jim Buckmark, and me. I’m Lone Watie. They took our pictures, and the newspapers said, “Indians vow to endeavor to persevere.” We thought about it for a long time. “Endeavor to persevere.”
And when we had thought about it long enough, we declared war on the Union.”
Ah, there you go. The famous quote from the character Lone Watie about “Endeavor to persevere”. And now, the U.S. Mint in 2023 has come out with the Liberty coin that essentially advises us the same thing. We shall persevere. Perseverance, it appears, is the new mandate. As gun owners, we’ve had to persevere through a barrage of anti-gun overreach by the Biden administration.
We’ve had to deal with the Biden pistol brace ban, retroactively defining them as short-barrel rifles, thereby turning millions of honest citizens into federal felons. Of course, the brace on a handgun only does one thing: it makes it more accurate. They are particularly helpful and originally designed for wounded veterans and other disabled persons. When a pistol brace is attached, it makes the handgun larger and less concealable. You would think the Anti-2A crowd would like that! This wasn’t a law passed by Congress. No, this was strictly done by an abuse of executive administrative power by Biden. This has been the tactic utilized by Biden against gun owners, forcing us to persevere.
Biden has done the same by trying to redefine what is a firearm frame and receiver to prohibit privately made firearms. His administration has engaged in a campaign to revoke legitimate Federal Firearm Licensees aggressively and have their license taken with zero tolerance for mere paperwork errors.
Now Biden is going to turn anyone who sells a firearm “for a profit”into an illegal, unlicensed dealer under federal law. If you sell a firearm “for a profit,” it does not matter anymore whether you engaged in the livelihood of being a gun dealer, which used to be the law. But the so-called Bi-Partisan Anti-gun rights bill that Democrats and RINO Republicans passed removed the “livelihood” provision. Now Biden is going to jump all over that change and turn millions of otherwise law-abiding gun owners into illegal, unlicensed dealers because they have the nerve to sell a firearm that they lawfully acquired and happen to make a profit. All of this is being done to push the so-called Universal Background Checks, which is code for Universal Gun Registration.
As excerpted from the Annual Report of the Director of the Mint to the Secretary of the Treasury, the motto “In GOD we trust” was first placed upon the bronze 2-cent piece authorized to be coined in 1864 by Congress. The motto was first placed on the gold and silver coins (with the exception of the dime, which was too small) on January 1, 1866. The motto continued to be placed on the coins until the adoption in 1907 of the gold $20 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle at the behest of Teddy Roosevelt.
On May 18, 1908, an act was passed by Congress enshrining the motto “In GOD we trust” on the coins of the United States. The motto appears on all gold and silver coins struck since July 1, 1908, with the exception of the dime.
“AN ACT Providing for the restoration of the motto “In GOD we trust” on certain denominations of the gold and silver coins of the United States.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the motto “In GOD we trust,” heretofore inscribed on certain denominations of the gold and silver coins of the United States of America, shall hereafter be inscribed upon all such gold and silver coins of said denominations as heretofore. Approved, May 18, 1908.
The phrase “In GOD We Trust” was supposed to be on all gold and silver coins. The 2023 American Liberty Gold Coin has the exact same design, except that the gold coin has a $100 face value and still says, “In GOD We Trust”.
The US Mint may claim a loophole because the silver Liberty coin does not have a “denomination” as compared to the gold Liberty coin, which has a $100 face value.
As the patience of gun owners is tested and attacks continue on our Second Amendment rights, we will persevere and continue to fight for our rights. We should all think about what “We Shall Persevere” means, just like Lone Watie and his people thought about it for a long time. Think long and hard about it. Our response will come about in this election. Because with this election, we can end the perseverance and regain our liberty. And for that, in GOD we trust.
For more discussion of this topic, listen to Evan Nappen’s Gun Lawyer Podcast Episode #148.
About Evan Nappen
Known as “America’s Gun Lawyer,” Evan Nappen is above all a tireless defender of justice. Host of the praised “Gun Lawyer” Podcast, author of eight bestselling books and countless articles on firearms, knives, weapons history, and the law, a certified Firearms Instructor, and avid weapons collector and historian with a vast collection that spans almost five decades, it’s no wonder he’s become the trusted, go-to expert for local, industry, and national media outlets. Called on regularly by radio, television, and online news media for his commentary and expertise on breaking news, Evan has appeared on countless shows including Fox, CNN, Court TV, WOR-New York. As a creative arts consultant, he also lends his weapons law and historical expertise to an elite, discerning cadre of movie and television producers and directors, and novelists. He also provides expert testimony and consultations for defense attorneys across America. Visit www.evannappen.com for expert legal assistance.