Numismatic

1909 Lincoln Cent VF

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The year 1909 marked a significant transformation for the United States one cent piece, introducing a design that would become an enduring symbol in American pocket change. This particular coin, preserved in Very Fine condition, represents the very beginning of the long-running Lincoln Cent series. Striked at the Philadelphia Mint, it carries no mint mark, which was the standard practice for the facility at the time. On the obverse, the profile of President Abraham Lincoln faces right, a historic portrait created by sculptor Victor David Brenner. The legendary mottoes of American coinage frame the president, with LIBERTY positioned to the left and the date 1909 below. This design was a revolutionary departure from the Indian Head pennies that preceded it, bringing a real historical figure to the circulating coinage of the nation. The reverse of the coin is defined by two stylized stalks of wheat framing the denomination. The inscriptions read ONE CENT and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, topped by the Latin motto E PLURIBUS UNUM. With a substantial mintage of over 72 million, this copper issue from the inaugural year of the series remains a favorite for those exploring the early twentieth-century transition of United States coinage.