The fourth 2009 Lincoln Penny design represents Lincoln's Presidency in Washington DC from 1861-1865. The half completed Capitol Dome is depicted, as designed by Susan Gamble and sculpted by Joseph Menna. The obverse design features the portrait of Lincoln designed by Victor D. Brenner.

The ceremony for the 2009 "Presidency" Lincoln Cent drew a much smaller crowd than the previous events. Contributing factors were inclement weather and the availability of rolls at other exchange locations in Washington, DC.

Special attendees at the ceremony included Edmund Moy, Director of the United States Mint; Dr. Donald Kennon, Chief Historian of the U. S. Capitol Historical Society; and Eileen Mackevich, Executive Director of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. The ceremony was followed by a roll exchange where attendees were allowed to exchange currency for rolls of the new cents. Exchanges were limited to a minimum of two rolls and a maximum of six rolls per person, although multiple passes through the exchange line were allowed.

During the ceremony, the United States Mint announced the reverse design selection for the 2010 Lincoln Cent. The new design featuring the union shield represents President Lincoln's preservation of the United States of America as a single and united country.

Photos from the event are included below, courtesy of Coin Update News.

Director Moy, and Drs. Kennon and Mackevich

Director Moy and othe dignitaries standing in front of the Capitol Dome

Director Moy unveils the design of the 2010 Lincoln Cent

The Lincoln Coin and Chronicles Set was created by the United States Mint for the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth. The set includes proof versions of the four different 2009 Lincoln Cents and the 2009 Lincoln Silver Dollar, as well as additional materials related to Lincoln. The set was limited to production of 50,000 units.

The coins and historical materials were packaged in a leather-like tri-fold case with protective slipcover. The following were included within each set:

Four Proof 2009 Lincoln Cents - The four different reverse designs represent the different stages of Lincoln's life. This includes his Birthplace and Childhood, Formative Years, Professional Life, and Presidency. The coins are struck in a composition of 95% copper, 3% zinc, and 2% tin, which matches the composition of the original 1909 VDB Lincoln Cent.

Proof 2009 Lincoln Commemorative Silver Dollar - These commemorative coins were limited to an overall mintage of 500,000. The 450,000 coins allotted to individual coin sales had sold out earlier in the year.

Reproduction of a Photograph of Abraham Lincoln

Reproduction of the Gettysburg Address - This is a copy of the original in Lincoln's handwriting.

Certificate of Authenticity

The 2009 Lincoln Coin and Chronicles Set went on sale at the United States Mint on October 15, 2009, priced at $55.95 each. Collectors purchased the entire production of 50,000 sets with a few days. The Lincoln Coin and Chronicles Set immediately began selling for a premium on the secondary market and continues to be popular with collectors.

The launch ceremony for the third design for the 2009 Lincoln Cent was held on August 13, 2009 at 10:00 AM CT at the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois.

The site for the release ceremony was a fitting one, since the building is depicted on the reverse design of the coin. Abraham Lincoln is shown dressed in professional attire before the Illinois State Capitol Building. It is intended to be representative of his "Professional Life" spent in Illinois from 1830 to 1861. The reverse was designed by Joel Iskowitz and sculpted by Don Everhart.

The obverse of the coin features the bust of Lincoln originally designed by Victor D. Brenner.

An estimated 3,000 people attended the launch ceremony for the 2009 Professional Life Lincoln Cent. This was roughly the same number that had attended the previous launch ceremony. US Mint Director Edmund Moy was on hand to present the new design, joined by US Senator Dick Durbin.

Children in attendance received a free penny. Other attendees had the opportunity to exchange currency for rolls of the coins. Each attendee was limited to a minimum of two or maximum of six rolls. A total of 20,000 of the 2009 Lincoln Cent rolls featuring the new design were exchanged at the event in about two hours time.

Event photos for the August 13, 2009 Springfield, Illinois launch ceremony are provided courtesy of Michael Forader.

Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois

United States Mint Director Edmund Moy

The Secretary of the Treasury shall issue 1-cent coins in 2009 with the exact metallic content as the 1-cent coin contained in 1909 in such number as the Secretary determines to be appropriate for numismatic purposes.

When the Lincoln Cent debuted in 1909, the composition was 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc, or bronze. The composition was modified several times during the course of the next 100 years. In 1943, the composition was changed for one year to steel coated with zinc. Starting in 1962, the tin was permanently removed from the composition. Most recently in 1982, the was switched to copper coated zinc, with an overall composition 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper.

The Bronze 2009 Lincoln Cents were only included in certain sets issued by the United States Mint for collectors. All 2009 Lincoln Cents issued for circulation or sold in the US Mint's two roll sets have the standard zinc based composition.

The 2009 Proof Set and 2009 Silver Proof Set both contain Bronze 2009 Lincoln Cents produced at the San Francisco Mint with a proof finish. Additional products including the special composition proof coins are the 2009 Lincoln Coin and Chronicles Set and the separate 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial Proof Set.

The 2009 Mint Set contains Bronze 2009 Lincoln Cents produced at the Philadelphia and Denver Mints. These coins are struck with a special satin finish, used for the US Mint's annual uncirculated Mint Sets.

The design for the 2010 Lincoln Cent is intended to bear a design emblematic of President Lincoln's preservation of the United States of America as a united country, as specified under Public Law 109-145. A depiction of the Union Shield was chosen for this purpose. The shield consists of 13 vertical stripes bound by a single horizontal bar. This represents the original 13 states which were joined together as a compact union in support of the federal government. The design dates back to the 1780's and was used as a central symbol during the years of the Civil War.

The obverse of the coin continues to feature the bust of Abraham Lincoln designed by Victor D. Brenner, which has been used continuously the past hundred years. Details of the original portrait used for the 1909 Lincoln Cent have been restored.

On November 12, 2009, the United States Mint unveiled the new design. This took place as part of the launch ceremony for the 2009 Presidency Lincoln Cent, the last of the four rotating reverse designs issued for the Bicentennial.

The 2010 Lincoln Cent was officially launched at a ceremony held on February 11, 2010 at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield, Illinois. The ceremony was attended by at least 400 people and was followed a roll exchange.

The low mintages were the result of two primary factors. First, the slower economy caused many people to cash in old hoards of coins. This drove old coins back into circulation and diminished the need to produce new coins. Second, the production of cents for the year had to be divided amongst four different designs, dividing the already reduced production by a factor of four.

Besides lower mintages, the 2009 Lincoln Cents seemed to also experience more limited distribution than typical. As the Federal Reserve worked through distributing the glut of older coinage, the release of newly minted coins was delayed. Many members of the public did not encounter examples of the new designs until very late in the year, if at all.

The low mintage, limited distribution, and higher demand for the 2009 Lincoln Pennies created instant premiums for the coins on the secondary market. With the release of each new design, coins typically sold for several multiples of face value.

The final mintage for the 2009 "Birthplace", "Formative Years", "Professional Life", and "Presidency" Lincoln Cents have all been provided by the United States Mint. The lowest mintages were achieved for the fourth design with 129.6 million produced in Philadelphia and 198 million produced in Denver.

2009 Lincoln Cent Mintages

The second Lincoln Penny features the railing splitting design, representing Abraham Lincoln's formative years spent in Indiana. The design depicts a young Abe Lincoln taking a break from splitting rails to read a book and educate himself. This reverse was designed and sculpted by Charles L. Vickers. The obverse of the coin features the portrait of Abraham Lincoln designed by Victor D. Brenner.

An estimated 3,000 people turned out for the event. The launch ceremony was conducted by United States Mint Director Edmund Moy. Also taking part in the ceremony were over 200 elementary school students and the actor portraying young Abraham Lincoln in an upcoming theatrical production to be held in the Lincoln Amphitheatre.

Children in attendance received a newly minted 2009 Formative Years Lincoln Cent for free. Others had the opportunity to exchange paper bills for a minimum of two or a maximum of six rolls of coins. An estimated 20,000 Lincoln Cent rolls were exchanged at the event. This was double the amount exchanged at the first ceremony.

Event photos for the May 14, 2009 Lincoln City, Indiana launch ceremony are provided courtesy of Michael Forader.

Edmund Moy and Young Abe Lincoln Actor

Coin Exchange Line at Lincoln City, Indiana

Lincoln Penny Rolls on Brinks Truck

A popular method of collecting the new 2009 Bicentennial Lincoln Cents is by the roll. Each roll contains 50 coins, allowing collectors to put aside a good number of coins, usually in uncirculated condition. Rolls have the advantage of easier acquisition and storage. There are several options for Lincoln Cent roll collectors.

US Mint Two Roll Sets

The United States Mint offered 2009 Lincoln Cent Two Roll Sets. These sets contain one roll of 50 coins from the Philadelphia Mint and one roll of 50 coins from the Denver Mint. The coins are packaged in custom designed wrappers which indicate the design of the coins, the mint, and the face value.

Two Roll Sets were offered for each of the four different reverse designs, as well as the 2010 Lincoln Cent. The sets were priced at $8.95 each. The first set featuring the Birthplace design sold out after two weeks and sells for a large premium on the secondary market. The Two Roll Sets can be a good option for someone looking for a unique Lincoln collectible from the US Mint.

Bank Wrapped Rolls

Although distribution of the new 2009 Lincoln Cents has been somewhat spotty, it was possible to obtain bank wrapped rolls from some banks. For anyone lucky enough to find a bank with a supply of the coins, they could be obtained at face value.

Secondary marketplaces and coin dealers also have a brisk business in selling bank wrapped rolls, although they are sold at premiums above face value.

The launch ceremonies held for the release of each new design were another dependable source for bank wrapped rolls. Following each ceremony, attendees had the opportunity to exchange currency for rolls of the newly released pennies at face value. Typically, the US Mint also held coin exchanges at several locations in Washington, DC to coincide with the circulation release date for each new design.

Sealed $25 Boxes

Sometimes entire sealed $25 boxes of the new 2009 Lincoln Cents could be obtained. These are typically acquired from banks that are able to order the new cents in quantity or on the secondary market. Each $25 Box will contain 50 rolls of uncirculated Lincoln Cents, containing 50 coins per roll. That makes for a total of 2,500 of the new Lincoln Cents in uncirculated condition.

The first reverse design for the 2009 Bicentennial Lincoln Cents features the image of a log cabin to represent Lincoln's humble beginnings in Kentucky. The inscriptions on the reverse include Lincoln's birth year 1809. The obverse design of the 2009 Lincoln Cent remains as the classic portrait of Lincoln used since 1909.

The launch ceremony was held at La Rue County High School in Hodgenville, Kentucky. The ceremony was conducted by US Mint Deputy Director Andrew Brunhart and Kentucky Governor Steven Beshear. Children in attendance received the first of the new pennies for free. Other attendees were given the opportunity to exchange currency for rolls of the new cents.

An estimated 1,500 people attended the ceremony for the 2009 Birthplace Lincoln Cent. About $5,000 worth of the new pennies were purchased during the exchange.

The event photos for the February 12, 2009 Hodgenville, Kentucky launch ceremony are provided courtesy of Mike Forader.

LaRue County High School stage set for the 2009 Lincoln Cent Launch Ceremony.

United States Mint Deputy Director Andrew Brunhart and Kentucky Governor Steven L. Beshear

2009 Lincoln Penny $25 Boxes available for exchange

2009 Lincoln Penny Roll Post Marked with the launch ceremony date and location.

The release date for the first 2009 Lincoln Cent design representing Lincoln's birth and early childhood took place on February 12, 2009. This date was chosen because it was the exact 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth. This same date was also be used for the release of the 2009 Lincoln Commemorative Silver Dollar. The three other designs for 2009 were released approximately every three months throughout the rest of the year.

Since the coins were struck for general commerce, 2009 Lincoln Cents can be found in circulation and sometimes could be obtained from banks following the official circulation release dates. The US Mint also offered specially packaged 2009 Lincoln Cent Rolls for collectors. These were generally offered to coincide with the circulation release dates, although all rolls have since sold out.

The full release schedule appears below.

2009 Lincoln Cent Release Schedule

2010 Lincoln Cent Release Date