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In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt became acquainted with the artistic talent
of Victor D. Brenner, as he posed for a Panama Canal medal project. The artist,
who had already sculpted a plaque bearing the likeness of
Abraham Lincoln, suggested a new one cent coin
for 1909 to observe the centennial of Lincoln’s birth. Enamored by the idea,
Roosevelt invited him to submit design proposals.
When word got out that a new
Lincoln cent was under development, a controversy erupted. Since the beginning
of United States coinage, no real person, living or dead, had ever been depicted
on the nation’s circulating coins. Traditionalists argued this precedent, set by
George Washington himself, should be honored ad infinitum. Roosevelt carried a
big stick in many ways, and forged ahead with the Lincoln cent idea
On August 2, 1909, the new "Abraham Lincoln penny" was
introduced. The controversy over the depiction of a real person on a
U.S. coin was soon forgotten. Americans couldn't get enough of the
new coin. The official journal of the
American Numismatic Association,
The Numismatist, wrote during the early days of the Lincoln Cent thusly:
No new coin type has ever commanded the interest of the public... as has the
Lincoln cent. Heralded long in advance, it was issued to an expectant
populace on August 2nd.... As soon as it became known that a new coin had been
issued, places of distribution were besieged... where long lines formed
leading to sub-treasuries, and continued each day until August 5th, when the
sign was displayed "No More Lincoln Pennies."
Brenner’s obverse design was adapted from his Lincoln plague, featuring a
profile of the 16th president facing right. The word LIBERTY was inscribed to
Lincoln’s left, and the date to his right. For the first time ever, the motto
IN GOD WE TRUST appeared on a one cent coin. The reverse featured two wheat
ear stalks on opposite sides of the coin, encircling the inscriptions ONE CENT
and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. At the very top was the national motto E
PLURIBUS UNUM, meaning “Out of Many, One”.
US Coin
Values Advisor has completed
Coin Value Tables™ for the Lincoln Cent,
reporting price trends over a long period of time for individual coins of
this series.
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Lincoln Cent Wheat
Reverse Specifications |
Diameter: |
Weight: |
Minted: |
Composition: |
Designer |
Edge: |
19.0 mm |
3.11 g |
1909-1942 |
.950 Cu .050
Sn-Zn |
Victor D. Brenner |
Plain |
19.0 mm |
2.70 g |
1943 |
Zinc-coated steel |
Victor D. Brenner |
Plain |
19.0 mm |
3.11 g |
1944-1946 |
.950 Cu .050
Zn |
Victor D. Brenner |
Plain |
19.0 mm |
3.11 g |
1947-1958 |
.950 Cu .050
Sn-Zn |
Victor D. Brenner |
Plain |
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Coin Photos courtesy of
Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles, Inc., Beverly Hills, CA. |
Even though the flap over using a real person’s image on a U.S. coin was quickly washed away
by a tide of Lincoln Cent popularity, the public was less enthused about the artist’s initials, V.D.B.,
appearing conspicuously at the bottom of the reverse. Such a display was
galling in the view of many, so mint officials quickly acted to remove the V.D.B. The designer’s initials were restored in 1918 on the obverse side to
the left under Lincoln’s shoulder, in much smaller letters.
World War II brought
about a change in Lincoln Cent composition in 1943. At the time the United
States entered the fray, the cent contained 95 percent copper. To better sustain
the war effort, copper was diverted away from the Mint, meaning a substitute
metal had to be found, and fast. After some testing, zinc-coated steel was
selected. The steel Lincoln Cent commenced production in February 1943. By the
end of the year, more than one billion of the steel cents were minted.
Unfortunately, steel proved to be an unsuitable substitute, so in 1944, Lincoln
Cents were once again minted from 95 percent copper. The supply of copper was
provided by spent shell casings returning home from the war front.
After 50 years of production, the wheat stalks on the reverse of the
Lincoln Cent were replaced by a new design centered on the Lincoln Memorial in
Washington, DC. The Assistant Engraver of the Mint, Frank Gasparro, created the
new look. The Lincoln Memorial reverse was introduced on February
12, 1959. The initials "FG" appear on the right of the building, near the
shrubbery.
The
Lincoln Memorial reverse has been with us ever since 1959. However, in 2009,
revisions to the Lincoln Cent are being planned, to commemorate the 200th birth
of "Honest Abe", and the 100th anniversary of the
venerable coin that we have
all grown up with. Four different reverse designs are to appear throughout
2009, depicting scenes from Lincoln's life. Many designs are under
consideration, but the final selections rest with the Treasury Secretary.
The Lincoln
Cent has been minted longer than any other coin in U.S. history and
in far larger numbers than any coin in the history of the world. Even
though the coin has been produced by the billions, numerous dates
command worthwhile premiums. Beginners often adopt the Lincoln Cent as their
first collecting series because of its easy accessibility, and stick with it as
their numismatic careers mature. Over the years, collectors have placed much
pressure on these key Lincoln Cent dates:
Continued competition to acquire these key dates
makes them the Lincoln Cents most likely to enjoy strong value appreciation
in the future. Key date Lincoln Cents are offered for sale below.
Click the link to take you the eBay auction coins. The left
hand side of each "Sales Box" is value trend data over a very long period of
time for a coin of that date in Good-4 condition. The percent annual
increase is computed for comparative purposes. The coin pictured
for sale in the right hand side is not necessarily the same condition coin
as that represented in the value trend analysis on left hand side.
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Half Cents
1793-1857 |
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Large Cents
1793-1857 |
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Flying Eagle Cents
1856-1858 |
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Indian Head Cents
1859-1909 |
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Lincoln Cents
1909-present |
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Two and Three
Cents 1851-1889 |
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Shield Nickels
1866-1883 |
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Liberty Nickels
1883-1913 |
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Buffalo Nickels
1913-1938 |
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Jefferson Nickels 1938-present |
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Early Half Dimes
1792-1837 |
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Seated Liberty Half Dimes 1837-1873 |
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Early Dimes
1796-1837 |
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Seated Liberty Dimes 1837-1891 |
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Barber Dimes
1892-1916 |
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Mercury Dimes
1916-1945 |
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Roosevelt Dimes 1946-present |
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Twenty Cents
1875-1878 |
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Early Quarters
1796-1838 |
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Seated Liberty Quarters 1838-1891 |
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Barber Quarters
1892-1916 |
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Standing Liberty
Quarters 1916-1930 |
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Washington
Quarters 1932-present |
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Early Half Dollars
1794-1839 |
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Seated Liberty
Half Dollars 1839-1891 |
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Barber Half
Dollars 1892-1915 |
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Walking Liberty
Half Dollars 1916-1947 |
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Franklin Half
Dollars 1948-1963 |
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Kennedy Half Dollars 1964-Present |
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Early Dollars
1794-1804 |
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Gobrecht Dollars 1836-1839 |
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Seated Liberty Dollars 1840-1873 |
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Trade Dollars
1873-1885 |
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Morgan Dollars
1878-1921 |
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Peace Dollars
1921-1935 |
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Eisenhower Dollars
1971-1978 |
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Anthony Dollars
1979-1981,1999 |
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Sacagawea Dollars
2000-present |
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Presidential Dollars
2007-present |
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Gold Dollars
1849-1889 |
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Early Quarter Eagles 1796-1834 |
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Classic Head Quarter Eagles 1834-1839 |
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Coronet Quarter
Eagles 1840-1907 |
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Indian Head
Quarter Eagles 1908-1929 |
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Three Dollar Gold
1854-1889 |
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Early Half Eagles
1795-1834 |
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Classic Head Half Eagles 1834-1838 |
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Coronet Half
Eagles 1839-1908 |
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Indian Head Half
Eagles 1908-1929 |
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Early Eagles
1795-1804 |
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Coronet Eagles
1838-1907 |
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Indian Head Eagles
1907-1933 |
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Coronet Double
Eagles 1849-1907 |
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St-Gaudens Double
Eagles 1907-1933 |
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The Lincoln Cent was released to the public on
August 2, 1909. The above photo shows a large crowd in line outside a
US Treasury building in New York City, waiting to receive the first examples
of the new coin. This was a scene replicated in many locations
throughout the nation. The Lincoln Cent was the first regularly circulating
U.S. coin to feature the image of a real person. Up to that point in
time, the only "person" depicted was various allegorical
representations of Lady Liberty.
Image courtesy of
Library of
Congress. |
