In 2009, the United States Mint issued four different pennies as part of the Lincoln Bicentennial One Cent Program. The program recognized not only of the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, but also the 100th anniversary of the Lincoln cent, first appearing in 1909. The themes on the reverses represent the four major aspects of Lincoln’s life:
- Birth and Early Childhood in Kentucky (1809-1816)
- Formative Years in Indiana (1816-1830)
- Professional Life in Illinois (1830-1861)
- Presidency in Washington, DC (1861-1865)
The circulating version of these coins uses the same metal content as other modern cents (2.5 percent copper, the rest zinc). The uncirculated version contains the metals used in the original 1909 cent (95 percent copper, 5 percent tin and zinc).
After the program ended, the design on the back of the one-cent coin changed to represent the unity of the states, which President Lincoln worked so hard to restore and preserve.
