Lincoln Wheat Cent

The Lincoln Wheat Cent holds a special place as the first regular-issue U.S. coin to depict an actual president, marking a major shift from earlier allegorical Liberty designs. Its long production run and accessible affordability have made it a gateway coin for generations of American collectors.

Because it circulated for decades in enormous numbers, most dates are easy to find, but a handful of scarce dates, mint marks, and famous errors make the series a genuinely engaging challenge to complete.

The coin was introduced in 1909 to mark the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth, designed by sculptor and medalist Victor David Brenner, whose initials (V.D.B.) appeared prominently on the reverse of early 1909 issues before being removed later that year due to public objection over their size, then restored in smaller form on the shoulder starting in 1918. It replaced the Indian Head cent and became the longest-running coin design in U.S. history to that point.

The reverse's two wheat stalks framing "ONE CENT" gave the coin its popular "Wheat Penny" nickname, remaining in use until 1958. Notably, in 1943, wartime copper shortages led the Mint to strike cents in zinc-coated steel instead of the usual bronze alloy, producing distinctive silvery-colored "steel cents" for that year only. The wheat reverse was retired in 1959, replaced by the Lincoln Memorial reverse for the coin's 150th anniversary of Lincoln's birth.

The obverse shows a right-facing portrait of Abraham Lincoln with "IN GOD WE TRUST" above, "LIBERTY" to the left, and the date to the right. The reverse features two stylized wheat ears framing "ONE CENT" and "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," with "E PLURIBUS UNUM" arched above.

The coin measures 19 mm in diameter; most years are struck in a bronze alloy of 95% copper, but 1943 cents are struck in zinc-coated steel (giving them a silvery appearance) and 1944-1946 cents used salvaged shell-casing brass. Mint marks (D or S) appear on the obverse below the date; Philadelphia coins have no mint mark. Collectors should be alert to counterfeit or altered 1943 copper cents and 1944 steel cents, both of which are famous rarities that attract fakes made by plating or altering common dates.

The overwhelming majority of Wheat Cents are common and inexpensive, often sold in bulk for a small premium over face value, making the series extremely approachable for new collectors. However, several dates are true key rarities: the 1909-S VDB (low mintage with designer initials before their removal), the 1914-D, and the 1922 "No D" (a Denver coin struck from a worn die that omitted the mint mark) are among the most famous.

Genuine 1943 bronze cents (mistakenly struck on leftover bronze planchets instead of steel) and 1944 steel cents (the reverse error) are extraordinarily rare and valuable, with authenticated examples selling for well into six figures, though counterfeits are common and expert authentication is essential. For ordinary dates, condition, original color (red versus brown for copper coins), and strike quality determine value beyond simple rarity.