The man on our pennies today is Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president. During the time the Lincoln design has appeared on the obverse (front), several different designs have been used on the reverse (back): first a wheat design, then the Lincoln Memorial. Four designs were used in 2009 (see below), and the union shield design first appeared in 2010.
Who is on the back of the one cent coin?
The “Union Shield” theme is the current design of the U.S. one-cent coin. The U.S. Mint first issued this design in 2010. The obverse (heads) shows the image of President Abraham Lincoln used on the penny since 1909. The shield on the reverse (tails) represents Lincoln’s preservation of the United States as a single country.
What was the design of the first US penny?
In 1857, Congress authorized the United States Mint to strike the penny with 88% copper and 12% nickel. The new coins featured a flying eagle on the obverse and a wreath on the reverse. The “Indian Head” design appeared from 1859-1909.
How are the new Lincoln pennies going to look?
The new penny designs, which will appear on the reverse, or “tails” side, depict four different periods in the life of revered U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. The obverse remains unchanged. The United States Mint released the new pennies one at a time, each about three months apart.
Where do they get the W mint mark on pennies?
In honor of the Mint’s 225th anniversary in 2017, pennies made in Philadelphia had a “P” mint mark for the first time. In 2019, the West Point Mint made special collectible pennies with a “W” mint mark. Other Circulating Coins: Obverse (heads): Shows the familiar likeness of President Abraham Lincoln featured since 1909.
What’s the picture on the back of a Lincoln penny?
On the reverse side of the coin there is an image of a young Abraham Lincoln sitting on a log. In this image Lincoln is reading a book while taking a break from splitting logs. Lincoln once worked as a rail splitter.
Who was the first person to be on a penny?
Every penny you’ve ever spent probably had Abraham Lincoln on it. He’s been on the front (obverse) of the penny since 1909! When the United States Mint was created in 1792, one of the first coins it made was the one-cent coin, but it looked very different from a modern cent.
What kind of metal is a wheat penny made of?
Wheat Pennies are dated from 1909 to 1958 and have a portrait of Lincoln on one side, and a wreath-like design of wheat heads on the other. Sometimes called “Lincoln Cents” (without mentioning the Memorial as described below,) they are made of almost pure copper (95%) except for one year, the 1943 penny, which is made of zinc-plated steel.
Why does the u.s.penny have a shield on it?
As a 2005 law directs, the shield design symbolizes President Abraham Lincoln’s preservation of the United States as a single country. The familiar portrait of Lincoln remains on the front of the coin. The union shield used in the design dates back to the 1780s.
