Lincoln cent

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The Lincoln cent is the United States’ one‑cent coin, worth 0.01 dollars. It has been minted since 1909. Today it is made of copper-plated zinc and weighs about 2.5 grams, with a diameter of 19.05 mm and a plain edge. Earlier bronze cents (1909–1982) weighed 3.11 g, and wartime steel cents (1943) weighed 2.7 g.

Composition changes
- 1909–1942 and 1944–1982: 95% copper with tin or zinc remaining
- 1943: zinc‑plated steel for wartime needs
- 1982–present: copper-plated zinc (about 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper)

Mint marks
- The U.S. Mint has used D, S, and W mint marks at times, and 2017 saw a P‑mint cent issued as a one‑year exception. No mint marks were used from 1965 to 1967, with limited exceptions in 2017 (Philadelphia) and 2019 (West Point). In 2019 West Point began producing W‑mint cents for special sets.

Design and history
- Obverse (heads): The Lincoln cent shows Abraham Lincoln. It was designed by Victor David Brenner in 1909. Brenner’s initials (VDB) on the reverse caused controversy and were removed from circulation, then placed in small letters on Lincoln’s shoulder in 1918.
- Reverse (tails): The original reverse pictured two ears of wheat (1909–1958), which gave the coins the nickname “wheat pennies.” In 1959 the reverse was changed to honor Lincoln with the Lincoln Memorial designed by Frank Gasparro. Beginning in 2010 the reverse has carried a Union shield design by Lyndall Bass.

Why the cent was created
- The Lincoln cent was introduced to celebrate Lincoln’s birth in 1809, the centennial of his birth. It was the first widely circulated U.S. coin to feature a real person.

Key moments in the coin’s story
- 1909: The Lincoln cent first goes into circulation on August 2. The public reaction was huge, and the Brenner design faced initial controversy over his initials.
- 1909‑S VDB: The 1909 with Brenner’s initials on the reverse from San Francisco is the rarest common Lincoln cent by date and mintmark.
- 1943–1944: Copper was needed for World War II, so the cent briefly used steel with a zinc coating (1943) and then returned to copper briefly before switching again in 1944.
- 1959: The Lincoln Memorial reverse debuts, marking a major design shift.
- 1960s: The Mint experiments with “small date” and “large date” varieties and tightens up the minting process; tin content is removed from the alloy in 1962 to stabilize the composition.
- 1964–1965: Copper prices cause hoarding and a shortage of cents in circulation; mint marks on some coins disappear briefly and then return in 1968.
- 1970s: The Mint tests alternative materials (including aluminum) but ultimately returns to copper-plated zinc; a few bronze‑dated pieces from 1983 are rare errors.
- 1990s–2000s: The design is refined, and in 2009–2010 the cent returns to a commemorative, four-design set for Lincoln’s bicentennial (covering his early life in Kentucky and Indiana, his time in Illinois, and his presidency). The 2010 shield reverse was introduced.
- 2017–2019: A rare P‑mint cent appeared in 2017; in 2019 the West Point Mint produced W‑mint cents for sets.
- 2020s: New design considerations for circulating coinage have been discussed, including a 250th‑anniversary commemoration for 2026 and a potential dual dating plan. In 2025, plans and actions related to the cent’s production shifted, including ceremonial final strike events and special collector issues.

Recent and future notes
- In 2025 a special run of 232 cents dated 2025 was struck in gold as a collectible. The final circulating Lincoln cent was struck in November 2025, and production for everyday use effectively ended, though collector strikings and special sets continued.
- The U.S. Mint and lawmakers have discussed the ongoing place of the cent in circulation, with costs of production and public needs driving decisions about its future.

Overall, the Lincoln cent has evolved from a copper coin with a wheat reverse to a copper‑plated zinc piece with a shield reverse, reflecting changing costs, technology, and commemorative priorities while remaining a familiar staple of American coinage.