"The Lincoln cent, the first regular U.S. coin to portray a specific individual, was introduced in 1909 to mark the centennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth. Sculptor and medalist Victor David Brenner designed both sides of the new coin, and his initials, V.D.B., are found on the truncation of Lincoln's shoulder. The earliest issues had the initials of the engraver, V.D.B., on the reverse. There was some public complaint about this, and they were removed later in the same month, creating a new type. In 1918 the V.D.B. initials were restored to the cent, this time in tiny letters on the obverse, on Lincoln's shoulder." - Whitman Publishing
Composition: 1959-1982: 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc; 1982-1998: copper-plated zinc ( core of 99.2% zinc and 0.8% copper, plated with pure copper, for a total composition of 97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper ). Weight: 1959-1982: 3.11 grams; 1982-1998: 2.7 grams. Diameter: 19 mm Edge: Plain
Lincoln Memorial Cents
Collection 1959 - 1998
Number One
- Memorial Reverse , 1959 , 1959 - D , 1960 , 1960 - D , 1961 , 1961 - D , 1962 , 1962 - D , 1963 , 1963 - D , 1964 , 1964 - D , 1965 , 1966 , 1967 , 1968 , 1968 - D , 1968 - S , 1969 , 1969 - D , 1969 - S , 1970 , 1970 - D , 1970 - S , 1971 , 1971 - D , 1971 - S , 1972 , 1972 - D
- 1972 - S , 1973 , 1973 - D , 1973 - S , 1974 , 1974 - D , 1974 - S , 1975 , 1975 - D , 1976 , 1976 - D , 1977 , 1977 - D , 1978 , 1978 - D , 1979 , 1979 - D , 1980 , 1980 - D , 1981 , 1981 - D , 1982 ( Copper, Large Date ) , 1982 ( Copper, Small Date ) , 1982 ( Zinc, Large Date ) , 1982 ( Zinc, Small Date ) , 1982 - D ( Copper, Large Date ) , 1982 - D ( Zinc, Large Date ) , 1982 - D ( Zinc, Small Date ) , 1983 , 1983 - D
- 1984 , 1984 - D , 1985 , 1985 - D , 1986 , 1986 - D , 1987 , 1987 - D , 1988 , 1988 -D , 1989 , 1989 - D , 1990 , 1990 - D , 1991 , 1991 - D , 1992 , 1992 - D , 1993 , 1993 - D , 1994 , 1994 - D , 1995 , 1995 - D , 1996 , 1996 - D , 1997 , 1997 - D , 1998 , 1998 - D