LINCOLN CITY, Ind. — The United States Mint held a ceremonial launch today at the Lincoln Amphitheatre in scenic Lincoln State Park to mark the release of the second redesigned one–cent coin (penny) struck in honor of the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. The new one–cent coin–released to the Federal Reserve today–features a reverse design representing Lincoln’s formative years in Indiana.
“This second design reflects the formative years of Abraham Lincoln’s life in Indiana, when he developed the qualities that served as the foundation for his extraordinary life,” United States Mint Director Ed Moy said.
Joining Moy to celebrate the coin’s release were Connie Nass, chairwoman of the Indiana Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission (IALBC); Darrel Bigham, professor emeritus of history at the University of Southern Indiana, Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission (ALBC) commissioner and IALBC member; and Joan Flinspach, chief executive officer of Presenting the Past, ALBC commissioner and IALBC member.
Following the ceremony, children ages 18 and younger received a newly minted one–cent coin bearing the ‘formative years” design, and adults were able to exchange their currency for a minimum of two rolls and up to six rolls of coins bearing the new design. The coin, packaged in a two–roll set, also became available at noon ET on the United States Mint Web site, www.usmint.gov, and at the toll–free number 1–800 USA–MINT (872–6468). The set contains one roll each of coins from the United States Mints at Philadelphia and Denver. There is an order limit of five sets per household.
The formative years design, by United States Mint Sculptor–Engraver Charles Vickers, is the second of four new designs Americans will see on the reverse of the penny this year. Inscriptions on the reverse (tails side) of the redesigned Lincoln Cent are UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM and ONE CENT. The obverse (heads) of the coin bears sculptor Victor David Brenner’s likeness of President Lincoln, introduced in 1909. Inscriptions on the obverse are IN GOD WE TRUST, LIBERTY and 2009.
Upcoming United States Mint products honoring Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday include numismatic versions of the four redesigned pennies minted in 95 percent copper and five percent tin and zinc–the same metallic content as the 1909 coin. The coins will be minted in proof and uncirculated conditions, and will be included in the United States Mint’s annual product offerings and as part of a special Lincoln Coin and Chronicles Set.
Title III of Public Law 109–145–the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005–authorizes the United States Mint to issue four different one–cent coins throughout 2009 to recognize the bicentennial anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s birth and the 100th anniversary of the production of the Lincoln Cent. The first reverse design, representing his birthplace in Kentucky, was released into circulation in February. Reverse designs representing Lincoln’s professional life in Illinois and his presidency in Washington, D.C., will be released later this year. At the end of the 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial One–Cent Program, the one–cent coin will feature a reverse design emblematic of President Lincoln’s preservation of the United States of America.
Free lesson plans about the 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial One Cent Program are available online at: http://www.usmint.gov/kids/teachers/lessonPlans/index.html.
Digital images of the 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial One Cent Coins are available.