Next year the Lincoln Cent will celebrate its Centennial. This will also mark the Bicentennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. To celebrate the occasion, there are many special events planned including new reverse designs for the Lincoln Penny.
The Lincoln Cent was first introduced in 1909 to celebrate the 100th anniversary Lincoln's birth. The coin was designed by Vincent D. Brenner. The obverse was based on a photograph of President Lincoln taken by Matthew Brady. The original reverse design of the Lincoln Cent featured a pair of Wheat Ears.
At the time the coin was unique since it was the first circulating US coin to bear the image of an actual person. All previous coins had featured the image of the mythical Liberty figure. The coin also sparked some controversy initially after its launch due to the prominent placement of the designer's initials "V.D.B." The positioning of the initials was later changed.
Beginning in 1959, to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's birth, the reverse design of the coin was changed. The new reverse featured a rendition of the Lincoln Memorial designed by Frank Gasparro. An image of the Lincoln Monument is also visible within the Memorial.
It is only fitting that another change will take place in 2009 to coincide with the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth. A series of four different reverse designs will be used throughout the year, with a new design released approximately every three months. Each will represent a different stage in Lincoln's life. The designs will cover his birth in Kentucky, his formative years in Indiana, his professional life in Illinois, and his Presidency in Washington, D.C.
The celebration will conclude with a fifth, brand new reverse design for the Lincoln Cent. This design would be used starting in 2010 and become the new permanent reverse. The design will be emblematic of the legacy of Lincoln and his preservation of the United States as a unified country.
