WASHINGTON — The United States Mint will begin accepting orders for its 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial One–Cent Proof Set on August 26, 2009, at noon Eastern Time (ET). A household order limit of five sets will be in effect.
The sets, priced at $7.95 each, contain proof versions of the four redesigned one–cent coins struck in honor of the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth and the 100th anniversary of the first issuance of the Lincoln cent. The reverse (tails side) bears designs emblematic of Lincoln’s birth and early childhood in Kentucky; his formative years in Indiana; his professional life in Illinois; and his presidency in Washington, D.C. The obverse (heads) features Victor David Brenner’s image of Lincoln that has graced the coin since 1909. These coins contain the exact same metallic content as the 1909 Lincoln Cent – 95 percent copper and five percent tin and zinc.
Proof coins are manufactured at the United States Mint at San Francisco using specially prepared, highly polished dies and are extraordinarily brilliant, with sharp relief and a mirror–like background. A frosted, sculpted foreground gives them a cameo effect. The coins are packaged in a protective lens to showcase and maintain their exceptional finish and are contained in a custom–designed box. An official United States Mint Certificate of Authenticity is included.
Orders for the 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial One–Cent Proof Set will be accepted at the United States Mint’s secure Web site, www.usmint.gov, or at the toll–free number, 1–800–USA–MINT (872–6468). Hearing and speech–impaired customers with TTY equipment may place their orders at 1–888–321–MINT (6468). A shipping and handling fee of $4.95 per order will be added to all domestic orders. Shipping will begin in late November.
Created by Congress in 1792, the United States Mint is the Nation’s sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage. Its primary mission is to produce an adequate volume of circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce. The United States Mint also produces proof, uncirculated and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; and silver, gold and platinum bullion coins.
NOTE: To ensure that all members of the public have fair and equal access to United States Mint products, orders placed prior to the official on–sale date and time of August 26, 2009, noon ET, shall not be deemed accepted by the United States Mint and will not be honored. For more information, please review the United States Mint’s Frequently Asked Questions, Answer ID #175.