The Lincoln Cent: A Type Set

The Lincoln Cent was the first non-gold coin issued during the Twentieth-Century American Coin Renaissance. In celebration of the centennial (100th) anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, the Lincoln Cent, designed by Victor David Brenner, was released on August 2, 1909. Augustus Saint-Gaudens was to design the Lincoln Cent, but President Roosevelt chose Victor David Brenner to succeed Saint-Gaudens after his death in 1907. The obverse of the Lincoln Cent remained virtually unchanged through the Lincoln Cent era and remains the longest-running design of any United States coin. However, its reverse has been changed several times, including the Memorial Reverse introduced in 1959, the Bicentennial Reverses of 2009, and the Shield Reverse introduced in 2010. The Lincoln Cent was minted from 1909 until 2025, when the United States ceased production of the one-cent denomination except for a non-circulating semiquincentennial Lincoln Cent minted for collectors in 2026.

President Roosevelt had decided that Abraham Lincoln would be the first person to be featured on a United States coin and chose this 1864 portrait by William Willard for the coin’s obverse. The Coinage Act of 1782 mandated that the obverse of each coin contain an impression emblematic of liberty, the inscription of the word Liberty, and the year of the coinage. No one can dispute that President Lincoln’s portrait is an impression emblematic of liberty. By 1964, the obverse of all circulating coins in the United States featured the portrait of a United States president.

Although it was common at the time to place the artist’s initials on a coin, the Lincoln Cent’s reverse prominently displayed them, making them easily visible. On August 5, 1909, three days after the release of the Lincoln Cent, the Secretary of the Treasury announced that there was “widespread criticism” over the prominence of the artist’s initials. Minting of the coin was halted until August 12, 1909, so that the initials could be removed. In 1918, after the death of Charles E. Barber, whose dislike of Brenner is well-known, the United States Mint introduced a smaller version of the designer’s initials to the obverse. As seen here, unless the coin is well-struck, the initials are almost imperceptible even under magnification.

The demand for new coins plummeted during the Great Depression as economic activity declined, with mintages reaching their lowest point in decades between 1931 and 1933. The 1931-S Lincoln Cent is the second-lowest minted Lincoln Cent. Only the 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent had a lower mintage. However, most of these 1931-S Lincoln Cents were not released until 1934 or later, and collectors, realizing their low mintage, purchased and hoarded them. As a result, although their mintage is low, many of these coins have survived in uncirculated condition.

Until 1943, the Lincoln Cent had been composed of bronze, 95% copper and 5% tin/zinc. However, in 1942, copper was deemed a critical part of the war effort as it was essential for producing ammunition, electrical equipment, and advanced machinery. On December 18, 1942, the United States Congress authorized the minting of zinc-coated steel Lincoln Cents for 1943 only. Between 1944 and 1946, the United States used spent brass shell casings, composed of 95% copper and 5% zinc, to provide copper for the Lincoln Cent before returning to the Lincoln Cent’s pre-war bronze composition.

In celebration of the sesquicentennial (150 years) anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, the reverse of the Lincoln Cent was changed to depict the Lincoln Memorial. The design, created by United States Mint Engraver Frank Gasparro, was chosen from over twenty submissions to a United States Mint internal competition among its artists. The engraver’s initials, “FG,” are located on the reverse to the right of the base of the Lincoln Memorial.

The Coinage Act of 1792, in addition to establishing the United States Mint, set the metal specifications for coinage, with half cents and cents to be composed of copper. Except for the wartime 1943 Lincoln Cents, the Lincoln Cent was composed of 95% copper (either bronze or brass), and approximately 153–154 cents contained one pound of copper. By 1981, soaring inflation and copper prices had driven minting costs for the Lincoln Cent above its face value. The Coinage Act of 1965 gave broad authority to the Secretary of the Treasury to change the composition of United States coinage. In 1982, under that authority, and supported by further legislation in 1974, the United States Mint changed the Lincoln Cent to a copper-plated zinc. In that first year, Lincoln Cents were struck in both bronze and copper-plated zinc. Collectors require scales to differentiate between the Lincoln Cents that year. The 1982-S Proof Lincoln Cent was only struck in bronze.

In 2009, in celebration of the bicentennial (200) anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, the United States Mint released the Lincoln Cent with four different reverses, representing his birth and early childhood in Kentucky (1809-1816), his formative years in Indiana (1816-1830), his professional life in Illinois (1830-1981), and his presidency in Washington, D.C. (1861-1965). For this bicentennial year, the proof and satin-finish Lincoln Cents were struck in bronze rather than copper-plated zinc.

The Birth and Early Childhood reverse, shown here, depicts a log cabin representing his humble beginnings. It was designed by artist Richard Masters of the Artistic Infusion Program and sculpted by United States Mint sculptor-engraver Jim Licaretz. Their initials can be found on the coin’s reverse.

The Formative Years reverse depicts a young Lincoln reading a book while taking a break from rail splitting. It was designed and sculpted by United States Mint sculptor-engraver Charles L. Vickers.

The Professional Life Reverse depicts Lincoln standing in front of the Illinois State Capitol, where he began his legal and political career.  It was designed by artist Joel Iskowitz of the Artistic Infusion Program and sculpted by United States Mint sculptor-engraver Don Everhart.

The Presidency Reverse depicts the half-finished U.S. Capitol dome as it appeared during the Civil War, symbolizing the preservation of the Union. It was designed by artist Susan Gamble of the Artistic Infusion Program and sculpted by United States Mint sculptor-engraver and future fourteenth Chief Engraver of the United States Mint, Joseph Menna.

The Lincoln Cent Type 6, Shield Reverse was also a result of the Artistic Infusion Program. The reverse was designed by artist Lyndall Bass of the Artistic Infusion Program and engraved by United States Mint sculptor-engraver Joseph Menna. The Union Shield was a patriotic symbol representing national unity and strength during the Civil War. The artist’s initials can be found under the banner on the left side of the reverse, and the engraver’s initials can be found under the banner on the right side of the reverse.

The Lincoln Cent Type 6, Shield Reverse would be the final circulating design of the Lincoln Cent as the United States Mint ceased production of the denomination in 2025. However, a semiquincentennial Lincoln Cent will be sold to collectors. The obverse of the coin will bear the inscription “1776 ~ 2026” rather than the date.

References

American Numismatic Association. (February 26, 2015) Throwback Thursday: the 10th Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint. https://www.money.org/throwback-thursday-the-10th-chief-engraver-of-the-u-s-mint.

American Numismatic Association. (n.d.) The Renaissance of U.S. Coinage. https://www.money.org/money-museum/virtual-exhibits-hom-case27.

Bullion Exchanges. (April 30, 2025) The Lasting Legacy of the Lincoln Wheat Penny. https://bullionexchanges.com/blog/the-lasting-legacy-of-the-lincoln-wheat-penny.

Burdette, Roger. (December 25, 2011) Roosevelt redesign ‘genesis letter’ surfaces. https://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/roosevelt-redesign-genesis-letter-surfaces.html.

Coin Week. (December 9, 2024) The 1922 No D Lincoln Cent Strong Reverse: A Defining Variety in the Wheat-Back Series. https://coinweek.com/the-1922-no-d-lincoln-cent-strong-reverse-a-defining-variety-in-the-wheat-back-series.

Great American Coin Co. (n.d.) The History of US Mints – The West Point Mint. https://www.greatamericancoincompany.com/blogs/news/the-history-of-us-mints-the-west-point-mint.

GreySheet. (n.d.) GreySheet & CPG® Price Guild, U.S. Coins. https://www.greysheet.com/coin-prices.

Lincoln Memorial Shrine Civil War Museum. (n.d.) The Penny, https://www.lincolnshrine.org/the-penny.

McMorrow-Hernandez, Joshua. (November 2, 2018) 1982 Coinage Keeps Collectors on Their Toes. https://www.greysheet.com/news/story/1982-coinage-keeps-collectors-on-their-toes.

McMorrow-Hernandez, Joshua. (April 22, 2020) Victor David Brenner & His Lincoln Cent. https://www.pcgs.com/news/victor-david-brenner-and-his-lincoln-cent.

Numismatic Guarantee Corporation. (January 1, 2005) The Transitional Cents of 1982. https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/646.

Numismatic Guaranty Company. (May 12, 2020) History Through Coins: The Great Depression. https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/8296/history-through-coins-great-depression.

Numismatic Guaranty Company. (n.d.). History of the Lincoln bicentennial cent. https://www.ngccoin.com/coin-explorer/united-states/cents/lincoln-cents-bicentennial-and-shield-reverse-2009-date.

Potter, Ken. (May 2, 2019) Second 1982-D Small Date Copper Alloy Lincoln Cent Discovered. https://www.numismaticnews.net/world-coins/second-1982-d-small-date-copper-alloy-lincoln-cent-discovered.

Professional Coin Grading Service (n.d.) 1922 No D 1C Strong Reverse, BN (Regular Strike). https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1922-no-d-1c-strong-reverse-bn/3285.

Professional Coin Grading Service (n.d.) 1943 1C (Regular Strike). https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1943-1c/2711.

Professional Coin Grading Service (n.d.) 1974 Aluminum Lincoln Cent. https://www.pcgs.com/top100/coin3.

Professional Coin Grading Service. (n.d.). 1990 1C No S, DCAM (Proof). https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1990-1c-no-s-dcam/93506.

Professional Coin Grading Service (n.d.) PCGS Coin Facts. https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts.

Shalal, Andrea. (November 12, 2025) US Treasurer strikes final pennies at Philadelphia Mint. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/bessent-us-treasurer-strike-final-penny-philadelphia-mint-2025-11-12.

Stacks Bowers. (n.d.) Very Last Omega Pennies. https://stacksbowers.com/omega-pennies.

The Caucus Blog. (n.d.) A one-cent symbol of a single and united country. https://www.thecaucusblog.com/2020/08/a-one-cent-symbol-of-single-and-united.html.

The National World War Museum. (December 4, 2020). Steel Cents, Silver Nickels, and Invasion Notes: US Money in World War II. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/united-states-money-in-world-war-ii.

United States Department of Justice Press Release. (March 17, 2016) Son of Former U.S. Mint Employee Returns “1974-D Aluminum Penny” to Mint. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/son-former-us-mint-employee-agrees-return-1974-d-aluminum-penny-mint.

United States Mint. (January 3, 2024) The Evolution of Liberty on Coins. https://www.usmint.gov/news/inside-the-mint/evolution-of-liberty-on-coins

United States Mint. (n.d.) Historic Coin Production. https://www.usmint.gov/learn/history/historic-coin-production.

United States Mint. (n.d.) History of the U.S. Mint. https://www.usmint.gov/learn/history/overview.

United States Mint. (n.d.). Lincoln Bicentennial One Cent Program. https://www.usmint.gov/learn/coins-and-medals/circulating-coins/penny/lincoln-bicentennial-one-cent-coins.

United States Mint. (n.d.). Mint Marks. https://www.usmint.gov/learn/collecting-basics/mint-marks.

United States Mint. (n.d.). Penny. https://www.usmint.gov/learn/coins-and-medals/circulating-coins/penny.

United States Mint. (n.d.) Semiquincentennial Coins & Medals. https://www.usmint.gov/coins/coin-programs/semiquincentennial.

United States Mint. (n.d.) U.S. Mint at Denver. https://www.usmint.gov/about/tours-and-locations/denver.

United States Mint. (n.d.) U.S. Mint at Philadelphia. https://www.usmint.gov/about/tours-and-locations/philadelphia.

United States Mint. (n.d.) U.S. Mint at San Francisco. https://www.usmint.gov/about/tours-and-locations/san-francisco.

United States Mint. (n.d.) U.S. Mint at West Point. https://www.usmint.gov/about/tours-and-locations/west-point.

United States Mint. (n.d.). Coinage Act of April 2, 1792. https://www.usmint.gov/learn/history/historical-documents/coinage-act-of-april-2-1792.