Lincoln Cents

The Lincoln Cent is perhaps the most popular and well recognized of all US coins. The obverse displays the bust of Abraham Lincoln. This design has been used since 1909, making it the longest used design for any circulating US coin. The coin was also the first to feature the likeness of a former president.

During its long history, Lincoln Cents were minted at the Denver, Philadelphia, and San Francisco mints. The mint mark is located below the date on the obverse of the coin. From 1909-1959, the reverse design of the coin featured a pair of wheat ears, and are often referred to as Lincoln Wheat Cents or Wheat Pennies. In 1959, the reverse design was changed to the Lincoln Memorial. These coins are referred to as Lincoln Memorial Cents.

Throughout their history, Lincoln Cents have gone through a number of changes and have included a number of important coins for collectors.

The 1909-S V.D.B. Lincoln Cent

The obverse and original reverse of the coin were designed by Vincent D. Brenner. When the coins were first issued in 1909, his initials "V.D.B." were quite prominently featured on the reverse. This caused public protest by people who believed that the initials were too prominent and detracted from the beauty of the coin.

The initials were removed early during the first year of production, creating a rare version of the coin. Lincoln Cents from 1909 that include the initials are referred to as "V.D.B." The 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent had a mintage of only 484,000 and is the key date for the series. If not for the removal of the initials, the series would have a different key date!

Steel Lincoln Cents

In 1943 the composition of the Lincoln Cent was changed in response to wartime needs for copper. The composition was changed from 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc to steel coated with zinc. Lincoln Cents from this year came to be known as Steel Cents. These coins were minted at all three mints: Denver, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. A small number of 1943 Lincoln Cents were minted in copper and are now valuable error coins.

1955 Double Die Lincoln Cent

One of the most well known mint error coins is the 1955 Double Die Lincoln Cent. While double dies exist for other years in the series, the 1955 features the most prominent and noticeable doubling. The doubling is apparent on the date and all of the inscriptions on the obverse of the coin. The error resulted from the misalignment of one of the dies used to strike the coin. This coin remains in constant collector demand.

Lincoln Memorial Reverse

In 1959 the reverse design of the Lincoln Penny was changed to commemorate President Lincoln's 150th birthday. The new reverse was designed by Frank Gasparro and features an image of the Lincoln Memorial. The image actually includes a visible rendering of the statue of Lincoln within the Memorial. As a result, Lincoln is currently featured on both the obverse and reverse of the Lincoln Memorial Cent.