Lincoln Cents
The Lincoln Cent was first issued in 1909 to replace the former Indian Head Cent, which was minted for the last time also in 1909. The new series was launched to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. At various subsequent anniversaries, the reverse design of the Lincoln Cent would be changed.
The obverse of the Lincoln Cent features a bust of Abraham Lincoln facing left. The words "In God We Trust" appear above, "Liberty" appears to the left and the date appears to the right. The reverse of the coin features a pair of wheat ears with the denomination "One Cent" and "United States of America" within. The motto "E Pluribus Unum" appears above.
When the coins were first released, the designer Victor D. Brenner had his initials "V.D.B." appear on the reverse of the coin beneath the wheat stalks. The prominent placement of the initials resulted in some complaints from the public, resulting in their removal. This created a rarity for the first year of issue in the 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent, which had a mintage of 484,000 pieces.
Another popular coin for collectors is the 1955 Double Die Lincoln Cent. This double die variety was caused by the improper preparation of working dies at the Philadelphia Mint. On impression was struck misaligned, resulting in a wide spread between lettering on the obverse. About 24,000 pieces were released into circulation. The coin is extremely popular with collectors due to its dramatic appearance.
In 1959, the reverse design for the Lincoln Cent was changed to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's birth. The new design featured a rendition of the Lincoln Memorial with the words "United States of America" and "E Pluribus Unum" above and the denomination "One Cent" below. Mintages for the one cent coin were higher during this era with billions produced for most issues. In 1982, the composition of the coin was changed from 95% copper and 5% zinc and tin to 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper.
More reverse design changes have taken place recently. The 2009 Lincoln Cents featured four different reverse designs issued throughout the year. Each design represented a different stage of Lincoln's life, issued to celebrate his Bicentennial. The following year, the 2010 Lincoln Cent featured the Union Shield to symbolize his preservation of the United States as a single and united country.
Coin Specifications
Dates: 1909-present
Mint: Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco
Composition: 95% copper, 5% zinc and tin (1909-1942, 1947-1962), steel coated with zinc (1943), 95% copper, 5% zinc (1944-1946, 1962-1982), 97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper (1982-present)
Diameter: 19 mm
Weight: 3.11 grams (1909-1942, 1944-1982), 2.70 grams (1943), 2.5 grams (1982-present)
