Lincoln Cents, Wheat Reverse Mintage

July 1, 2010Posted inCents

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.

Lincoln Wheat Cent

Lincoln Cents are highly popular with collectors due to the accessibility of the series. Many collectors began in their youth by filling coin books with Wheat Cents taken from circulation. For collectors with bigger budgets, the series includes some well known key dates and can be a challenge to assemble in high grades with full red coins.

Indian Head Cents Mintage

June 25, 2010Posted inCents

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.

Indian Head Cent

The series was produced from 1859 to 1909 with a few design modifications. The composition of the Indian Head Cent began as 88% copper and 12% nickel. This proved difficult to strike and the composition was changed to 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc during 1864. For this year, pieces were struck in both the copper nickel and bronze.

Flying Eagle Cents Mintage

February 27, 2010Posted inCents

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.

Flying Eagle Cent


The design was used for only two years before being replaced by the Indian Head Cent. The composition of the coins was 88% copper and 12% nickel with a weight of 4.67 grams. These specifications for the small cent would be adjusted in 1864.