2009 Lincoln Presidency Penny Box P LP4

New Cent Designs on 2009 Pennies

As mentioned, 2009 marks the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth and the 100th anniversary of the Lincoln cent. To celebrate the occasions, Congress created and former President Bush signed off on the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-145). The Act includes a section that authorized the United States Mint to strike four new pennies to commemorate different aspects of Abraham Lincoln’s life.

The Four New 2009 Lincoln Cents - Click to Enlarge

When the new 2009 designs were first revealed by the United States Mint on Sept. 22, 2008, U.S. Mint Director Ed Moy aptly summed up the historic significance of the new Lincoln cents.

"This is a momentous occasion in the history of our Nation’s coinage because these designs represent the first change in the Lincoln cent in half a century,” said Moy.

"These coins are a tribute to one of our greatest Presidents whose legacy has had a lasting impact on our country. He believed all men were created equal, and his life was a model for accomplishing the American dream through honesty, integrity, loyalty, and a lifetime of education."

The four aspects of Lincoln’s life depicted on the new pennies are:

• Birth and Early Childhood in Kentucky (1809-1816): Designed by Richard Masters and sculpted by Jim Licaretz, this coin has an image of a log cabin reminding all of the humble beginnings of Lincoln where he grew up near Hodgenville, Kentucky. The cent is often described as the 2009 Lincoln Log Cabin Penny. The United Sates Mint launched the coin on Feb. 12, 2009, which is the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth

  

• Formative Years in Indiana (1816-1830): Depicting a sitting image of Lincoln on a log reading a book and taking a break from rail splitting, this coin was designed and sculpted by Charles Vickers. During the launch ceremony for the coin, US Mint Director Ed Moy described it as reflective of " formative years of Abraham Lincoln’s life in Indiana, when he developed the qualities that served as the foundation for his extraordinary life,” Moy said. The cent is often refereed to as the 2009 Lincoln Rail Splitter Penny.

  

• Professional Life in Illinois (1830-1861): Designed by Joel Iskowitz and sculpted by Don Everhart, this cent has an image of Lincoln in front of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, representing the professional life of Lincoln. US Mint Director Moy described Illinois as the place where "Lincoln evolved into a successful lawyer and politician," and where his "service in the state legislature and Congress, and his debates with Stephen Douglas, paved the way to his election as President." The cent is often referred to as the 2009 Lincoln Professional Life Penny or the Illinois Lincoln Penny.

  

• Presidency in Washington D.C. (1861-1865): Featuring a half finished United States Capitol Dome, the fourth and final installment of the 2009 cent series was designed by Susan Gamble and sculpted by Joseph Menna. It symbolizing a Nation torn apart by civil war and the resolve Lincoln showed as he guided the country through its most grave crisis. The cent is most often referred to as the 2009 Lincoln Presidency Penny.