The First Slogan on a U.S. Coin Wasn’t ‘In God We Trust’ but ‘Mind Your Business’
It’s one of those things we assume has always been true — that every U.S. coin has carried “In God We Trust” since day one. But that’s not how the American story began. In fact, the country’s very first official coin carried a completely different message — one that sounds more like a stern tweet than a solemn motto. It was blunt. It was practical. And it came straight from the brain of Benjamin Franklin himself. Before we ever engraved faith into our currency, we stamped it with advice: Mind your business.
MIND YOUR BUSINESS
Back in 1787, America wasn’t yet a powerhouse. It was a fledgling idea. The revolution was over, the Constitution wasn’t even fully ratified, and unity was still fragile. Amid this uncertainty, Benjamin Franklin designed what would become the first official U.S. coin — the Fugio cent. Instead of quoting scripture or celebrating patriotism, he opted for something deeply Franklin-esque: a motto encouraging personal responsibility and focus. “Mind Your Business” wasn’t just a clever phrase. It was a warning, a value system, and a mirror all in one. Franklin knew the young country didn’t have time for distractions or idle hands. It needed builders, not busybodies.
WE ARE ONE
Flip the Fugio cent over and you’ll find something equally powerful — thirteen rings interlinked around a small phrase: “We Are One.” It’s easy to miss, but impossible to ignore once you understand its context. This wasn’t just artistic decoration; it was a coded message of unity. The United States had just broken free from a king, and each of its thirteen colonies was still adjusting to the idea of being equal partners. The rings represented each colony, locked together, refusing to break apart. Franklin wasn’t just designing a coin — he was engraving hope into copper. And in doing so, he reminded Americans that their strength didn’t come from coins or Congress, but from one another.
TIME FLIES, SO USE IT WELL
Alongside the “Mind Your Business” slogan on the front of the coin sat a sundial with a single Latin word beneath it: “Fugio.” Translation? “I flee.” The coin itself was talking — warning its holder that time was running. That every second wasted was a second lost. It was Franklin’s quiet way of saying: be present, be productive, don’t procrastinate. And that’s what makes the Fugio cent so fascinating — it wasn’t just money. It was a moral code in your pocket. A 1787 motivational speaker in your palm. While modern coins inspire with divine trust, this one pushed Americans to hustle, to build, and to think for themselves.