IN GOD WE TRUSTED...

...and then this whole Bush thing happened and now we're not so sure.

Looks like the U.S. moneymakers (and I don't mean Exxon) accidentally struck a bunch of brand new $1 Jorge Washington coins with a glaring mistake - the words "In God We Trust" are missing. Stolen by atheists under cover of night, no doubt.

Really. How do you mint coins missing an entire phrase? And a controversial one at that, given our nation's fascination with godless heathens.

Where's that phrase? It's missing? OOPS! How did THAT happen? COINcidence?

Methinks no. But then, me also thinks all grades of gasoline are pumped from the same damn reservoir. I have that recessive "raised eyebrow" trait...keeps me in a perpetual state of heightened suspicion.

Anyhow, here's the scoop directly from the U.S. Mint:

"The United States Mint has struck more than 300 million George Washington Presidential $1 Coins. We have recently learned that an unspecified quantity of these coins inadvertently left the United States Mint at Philadelphia without edge-lettering on them. It is unknown how many of these coins without inscriptions on the edge have been placed into circulation.

"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 U.S. coinage. We take this matter seriously. We also consider quality control a high priority. The agency is looking into the matter to determine a possible cause in the manufacturing process."

The ommission is considered a defect which will likely render the coins valuable collector's items. So keep an eye out!