Why It Was Produced
The Lincoln Wheat Cent debuted in 1909 to mark the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, making it the first U.S. coin to feature a real historical figure.
Designed by Victor David Brenner, the obverse features a portrait of Lincoln, while the reverse shows two wheat stalks, symbolizing prosperity.
It replaced the Indian Head Cent and represented a shift in U.S. coinage design toward honoring presidents and American ideals. The Wheat Cent ran until 1958, when it was replaced by the Lincoln Memorial reverse in 1959.
How It Was Made
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Composition: Primarily 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc, though during World War II (1943) cents were struck in zinc-coated steel to conserve copper for the war effort.
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Design Evolution:
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1909–1958: Obverse portrait of Lincoln, reverse with wheat ears.
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Designer’s initials “V.D.B.” originally appeared prominently on the reverse in 1909 but were quickly removed after criticism, later restored in small form on the obverse in 1918.
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Mints: Struck at Philadelphia (no mintmark), Denver (D), and San Francisco (S).
Key Dates
| Date | Notes |
|---|---|
| 1909-S VDB | Only 484,000 struck; the most famous key date of the series. |
| 1909-S (no VDB) | Scarce first-year San Francisco issue without initials. |
| 1914-D | Very low mintage; one of the toughest keys in the series. |
| 1922 No D | A die variety from Denver where the “D” mintmark was omitted due to overpolished dies. |
| 1931-S | Low mintage (866,000); a semi-key. |
| 1943 Bronze Cent | A famous error; a few copper planchets were struck instead of steel — extremely rare. |
| 1944 Steel Cent | Another error; a handful of leftover 1943 steel planchets struck with 1944 dies. Rare. |
Collector Appeal
The Lincoln Wheat Penny is one of the most widely collected U.S. coins. Its long run, historic design, and affordable availability make it popular with beginners, while the presence of rare key dates and mint errors provides challenges for advanced collectors. Building a complete set, from 1909 through 1958, is a classic collecting goal and a rite of passage in American numismatics.