Abraham Lincoln’s Life And Legacy Depicted On Coins
July 17, 2010 by Robert Chase
Filed under Collectibles
In 2009, the country celebrated the 200th anniversary of the birth of the 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. To mark the occasion, several different circulating and commemorative coins were issued. This included four pennies carry different reverse designs and a dollar coin struck in a composition of 90% silver.
To celebrate the centennial of Lincoln's birth in 1909, the Lincoln one cent coin was introduced to the public. The series continued to be minted each year with a new reverse design in 1959 and the four new reverse designs issued in 2009 for Lincoln's bicentennial. The four different designs represent four different stages of Lincoln's life.
The first of the four different reverse designs for the Bicentennial Lincoln Cents depicts a simple log cabin. This represents his birth and childhood in the state of Kentucky. The second design presents a scene of young Abe Lincoln taking a break from splitting logs to read a book. The next design in the series depicts Lincoln during his professional years when he practiced law in Illinois. The final design represents Lincoln's presidency in Washington, DC with a view of the half completed Capitol Dome.
A commemorative silver dollar coin was also produced for the occasion of Lincoln's Bicentennial. This coin was struck in 90% silver and 10% copper and limited to a total mintage of 500,000 coins. The obverse presented a portrait of Lincoln, displaying his strength and resolve. The reverse of the coin featured the final words of the Gettysburg Address. This is one of Lincoln's most famous and well known speeches.
As a final send off to Lincoln's Bicentennial celebration, one more reverse design will be introduced in 2010. This design will depict the Union Shield as a way of representing Lincoln's preservation of the United States of America as a single and united country. For the foreseeable future this depiction of the Union Shield will be used for the reverse design of the circulating one cent coin.
Learn more about the unique coins issued for the bicentennial at 2009 Lincoln Cents. Information and pictures of the 2009 Presidency Lincoln Cent is included.
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