The Lincoln Cent
The Lincoln Cent, first minted in 1909 was a coin ahead of its time. It was the first regularly issued coin depicting a historical
figure. Prior to 1909, US coins depicted personifications of Liberty. Since 1909, other denominations slowly shifted to historical
figures including the Jefferson Nickel (1938), the Roosevelt Dime (1945), the Washington Quarter (1932), the Ben Franklin half dollar
(1948), and the Eisenhower dollar (1971).
Victor David Brenner, designer of the Lincoln Cent
Victor David Brenner was born in Lithuania in 1871 and emigrated to the US in 1890, where he became a New York area sculptor specializing in designs of medals. In 1907, Brennan produced a medal and plaque of Lincoln, which drew the attention of President Theodore Roosevelt. A great admirer of Lincoln, Roosevelt wanted to include Lincoln on a coin starting in 1909, the hundredth birthday of Lincoln.1909 S VDB Lincoln cents
At the start of the first year, Brenner's initials, VDB, appeared prominently on the reverse of the coin. The public considered this arrogant, and the initials were removed shortly into the first year of production, creating two distinct varieties the first year. The San Francisco mint produced only 484,000 of the VDB versions of the penny, making the 1909 S VDB cent one of the classic rare coins. The Philadelphia mint produced nearly 28 million, many of which were carefully preserved by collectors. Brennan s initial re-appeared in the more subtle location of the base of Lincoln s bust in 1918.1914 D Lincoln Cent
The 1914 D Lincoln cent is among the rarest in the series. Although 1.2 million were minted, most became thoroughly circulated and well worn. The 1914 D cent is particularly rare in higher grades
The 1922 plain Lincoln Cent
In 1922, there were no Lincoln cents produced in Philadelphia. But some of the 7 million minted in Denver were produced without a mintmark due to a defect in the die.The 1931 S Lincoln Cent
The last scarce coin of the series was the 1931 S, with a mintage of 866,000.Steel Cents
During World War II, copper became a scarce commodity. In 1943, Lincoln cents were made out of steel. It remains the only American coin that can be picked up with a magnet. From 1944 to 1946, the Lincoln cents were made out of shell cases that were salvaged. These shell case copper cents look similar to other copper Lincoln cents.1955 Double Die Lincoln Cent
The best-known error in the Lincoln Cent is the 1955 Double die, in which the date, In God We Trust and Liberty are clearly
doubled. There are a few more subtle double die varieties that were produced in 1969 S, 1972, 1983,and 1984.
The Lincoln Memorial Cents
The wheat ear back that originated in 1909 was changed to the Lincoln Memorial in 1959. As copper prices rose, the cents became
more expensive to produce. In 1982, the composition was changed to copper coated zinc.
