The United States Mint will mint and issue four different 2009 Lincoln pennies in recognition of the bicentennial birth of President Abraham Lincoln and the 100th anniversary of the Lincoln cent. While the obverse or heads side of the penny remains unchanged, the new reverse designs beautifully portray facets of Lincoln’s life, with the first cent officially launched into circulation on Feb. 12, at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site, in Hodgenville, Kentucky.
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When the first 2009 penny was issued on Lincoln’s birthday, Feb. 12, it marked the first redesign of the cent in 50 years. At the time the 2009 Lincoln cent designs were first revealed, United States Mint Director Ed Moy said:
“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.
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.”
Each penny will be released into general circulation at approximately three-months intervals throughout 2009. Although the US Mint has not officially declared exact release dates, the expected launch dates for the second, third and fourth penny are May 14, Aug. 13 and Nov. 12.
At the conclusion of the 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial Program — years 2010 and beyond — the one-cent coin will feature a reverse design that will be "emblematic of President Lincoln’s preservation of the United States of America as a single and united country."
2009 Lincoln Silver Dollars further honor America’s revered leader. The United States Mint has struck collector proof and uncirculated silver coins with a limited total mintage of 500,000.
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In the first week of sales alone, 116,558 of the proofs and 61,164 of the uncirculated coins were purchased by collectors. By the second week, nearly half of the authorized mintage was sold.
The Lincoln coins were authorized through the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005, which was signed into law (Public Law 109-145) on Dec. 22, 2005 by President George Bush.
