In 2009, the United States Mint marked the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth with a four-coin series of circulating commemorative cents. Known as the “Lincoln Bicentennial” series, the program consisted of four different reverse designs marking major milestones in Lincoln’s life.
The 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial Designs
The obverse for Lincoln pennies remained the same in 2009. The difference with the new commemorative coins was the 2009 Lincoln cent reverse.
The first commemorative reverse, named “Birth and Early Childhood in Kentucky”, showed a rough log cabin similar to the one where Lincoln was born.
The second design was named “Formative Years in Indiana”. This design portrayed a young adult Lincoln taking a break from rail splitting and studying with a book. Lincoln was largely self-taught as a young man.
The third design, “Professional Life in Illinois”, shows Lincoln in front of the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield. Lincoln worked as a lawyer in Springfield and served in the State Legislature.
The fourth and final design in the series was named “Presidency in Washington, D.C.”. It shows the United States Capitol under construction as it appeared on the day of Lincoln’s first inauguration. This scene is meant to invoke Lincoln’s determination to rebuild the nation after the Civil War.
The Value of a 2009 Lincoln Cent
The combined mintage of all four designs from both the Philadelphia and Denver Mints was more than 2.3 billion coins. Combined with the fact that many millions of Lincoln Bicentennial cents were saved by the public, it is small wonder that they are so seldom seen in circulation. READ MORE...
