20th Century Penny Collection

A collection representing the history of the Penny in the 20th century, from the classic Indian Head Penny to the rarely-seen Lincoln Penny Proof. 1859-1909 Indian Head Penny, 1909-1958 Lincoln “wheat ears” Penny, 1943 Lincoln Steel Penny, 1944-1946 Lincoln Shell Case Penny, 1959-1999 Lincoln “Memorial” Penny, and 1959-1999 Lincoln “Memorial” Penny Proof. Coins are delivered in a custom coin wallet with a Certificate of Authenticity. The first coin is the Indian Head Penny, which was last made in 1909. It depicts Lady Liberty dressed as an Indian princess; it was one of the first U.S. coins to feature a Native American.  The Lincoln Penny was first minted in 1909 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. The 1909-1958 coins feature the famous wheat ears design on the reverse. In 1943, the U.S. Mint struck the first and only steel coin in U.S. history; it was an emergency World War II issue that was made for only one year.  In 1944-46, the Penny was made with copper recovered from used World War II shell cases.  The Lincoln “Memorial” Penny was introduced in 1959 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth; it shows the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on the reverse. The final coin is a rarely-seen Proof edition of the Lincoln “Memorial” Penny. Proofs are the highest quality coins; they are made in very limited editions and are available only in official Proof Sets from the U.S. Mint.