To celebrate the bicentennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, four different reverse designs were released for the 2009 Lincoln Cent. The designs represented different stages in the life of the 16th President, depicting his birthplace and childhood, formative years, professional life, and presidency.
After fifty years of production and widespread circulation, the reverse design of the Lincoln Cent was changed. The redesign coincided with the 150th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. The new reverse would feature a depiction of the Lincoln Memorial by Frank Gasparro. The obverse of the coin would continue to feature the bust of Lincoln, originally designed by Victor D. Brenner.
The Lincoln Cent was introduced in 1909 to coincide with the centennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. The coins featured the portrait of Abraham Lincoln on the obverse and a pair of wheat ears on the reverse, as designed by Victor D. Brenner. This reverse design was used from 1909 to 1958. The obverse design remains in use today.
The Indian Head Cent was issued as the second design for the small cent. The coin was designed by James B. Longacre and features an image of Liberty in a Native American headdress on the obverse, which lends itself to the series name. The reverse of the coin first featured a laurel wreath, which was replaced with an oak wreath and shield after only one year.
The Flying Eagle Cent was the first small sized one cent coin issued by the United States Mint. Previously, the large cent had been issued which proved to be bulky in commerce and expensive to make. The designer of the Flying Eagle Cent was James B. Longacre. The obverse of the coin features an eagle in flight, moving towards the left. The reverse of the coin depicts an agricultural wreath with a mix of American items including corn, wheat, cotton, and tobacco.
