First Lincoln Penny Issued - 1909

I warned you guys…I enjoy an occasional little history tidbit. Today is in honor of the Lincoln penny, so I looked up a bit of history about the penny. Here’s a bit of a timeline:

1792: The U.S. Mint was created along with the original “one-cent coin”, very different than today’s penny.

1857: The first copper/nickel blend penny was designed – a flying eagle on the front, and a wreath on the back. (HOWEVER…this information was obtained from the USMint website, and yet here’s a picture of a penny with these emblems with the date 1856. Curious..)

 

 

 

1909-1958: The Lincoln silhouette was introduced on one side, the reverse featured a wheat design in which two sheaves of wheat flank the words ONE CENT and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

 

 

 

1959-2008: The reverse image was updated to the all-to-familiar Lincoln Memorial design to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth. And here comes our tax money at work ladies and gentlemen!

2009: 4 different designs were released in recognitions of the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth as well as the 100th anniversary of the first issuance of the Lincoln cent. Here are the designs:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2010: A new design is featured, however, apparently a law was written in 2005 that states something to the effect that the Lincoln' cent’s design must be emblematic of President Abraham Lincoln’s preservation of the U.S. as a single and united country. FASCINATING! Do the 2009 designs fit that? Hmm…anyhow, here’s the 2010 design:In honor…Cooper, Ryan and I created penny “rubbings” with crayons, and colored the coloring page below, and just flat out had fun playing with pennies. Spinning them on the table, etc. =) Yay for pennies!

Love the look of glee on his face watching the penny spin.