lincoln bicentennial cents

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.

Mintages for the 2009 Lincoln Cents were at extremely low levels relative to the prior Lincoln Memorial Cent mintages. In addition to the excitement about the new designs, collectors had to contend with much fewer coins to go around and more fragmented distribution. These factors provided an instant allure to the series, likely causing more quantities than normal to be saved from circulation.