{"id":4890,"canonical_url":"https://www.kudos365.com/today-in-history/events/1909ce-aug-2--4890","name":"1909 CE, August 2","year":1909,"era":"CE","month":8,"day":2,"url":"https://www.kudos365.com/today-in-history/events/1909ce-aug-2--4890","iso-date":"1909-08-02","precision":"year-month-day","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Lincoln penny was first issued by the United States Mint on August 2, 1909, marking the centennial of the birth of President Abraham Lincoln. It was the first regularly circulating U.S. coin to feature the portrait of an actual historical person, replacing the long-running Indian Head cent.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","additional_details":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIntroduction of the Lincoln Penny\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOverview\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Lincoln penny was first issued by the United States Mint on August 2, 1909, marking the centennial of the birth of President Abraham Lincoln. It was the first regularly circulating U.S. coin to feature the portrait of an actual historical person, replacing the long-running Indian Head cent.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDesigned by sculptor Victor David Brenner, the coin represented a significant departure from earlier U.S. coinage, which had traditionally depicted allegorical figures such as Liberty rather than real individuals.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHistorical Background\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBy the early twentieth century, President Theodore Roosevelt sought to improve the artistic quality of American coinage. As part of this initiative, he encouraged the redesign of several U.S. coins. The approaching 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth provided the opportunity to honor one of the nation's most respected presidents with a new one-cent coin.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVictor David Brenner based Lincoln's portrait on a photograph taken by Matthew Brady's studio, producing a right-facing profile that remains one of the most recognizable images in American numismatics.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Initial Release\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe first Lincoln cents entered circulation on August 2, 1909. The reverse featured two wheat ears framing the denomination and country name, leading collectors to later nickname the coin the \"Wheat Penny.\"\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe original coins also carried Brenner's initials (V.D.B.) prominently on the reverse. Public criticism over the size and placement of the initials led the U.S. Mint to remove them shortly after release, creating one of the most famous collectible varieties: the 1909-S VDB.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSignificance\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe introduction of the Lincoln penny was historically important because it:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- Introduced the first portrait of a real historical figure on a circulating U.S. coin.\u003cbr\u003e- Honored Abraham Lincoln on the centennial of his birth.\u003cbr\u003e- Reflected Theodore Roosevelt's campaign to elevate the artistic quality of American coinage.\u003cbr\u003e- Created one of the most collected and recognizable coin series in the world.\u003cbr\u003e- Established a design lineage that continues on the U.S. one-cent coin today, though with updated reverses.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTimeline\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Lincoln cent has undergone several reverse design changes:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFebruary 12, 1909: Centennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth\u003cbr\u003eAugust 2, 1909: Lincoln penny officially introduced into circulation\u003cbr\u003eAugust: 1909: V.D.B. initials removed from most subsequent production\u003cbr\u003e1959 : Reverse changed to the Lincoln Memorial\u003cbr\u003e2009: Bicentennial commemorative reverse designs issued\u003cbr\u003e2010: Union Shield reverse adopted.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Union Shield: Lincoln's obverse portrait, has remained in continuous use since 1909, making it one of the longest-running coin designs in U.S. history. with only minor refinements,\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLegacy\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe introduction of the Lincoln penny marked a turning point in American coinage by replacing allegorical imagery with the portrait of a historical leader. More than a century later, the Lincoln cent remains a familiar symbol of U.S. currency and one of the most widely collected coins in the world. Its debut on August 2, 1909, stands as a landmark event in both American history and numismatics.\u003c/p\u003e","photo":"https://k365fs.imgix.net/bWLYJvnKQtWBvxfE4F9Z_Lincoln%20Penny%201909_US_Penny%20-%201909.jpg?auto=format,compress\u0026fit=clip\u0026max-w=1600","photo_width":1280,"photo_height":646,"created_at":"2026-08-02T15:52:15-07:00","updated_at":"2026-08-02T16:01:13-07:00","breadcrumbs":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"August History","item":"https://www.kudos365.com/today-in-history/august"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"August 2","item":"https://www.kudos365.com/today-in-history/august-2"}]},"schema":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Thing","@id":"https://www.kudos365.com/today-in-history/events/1909ce-aug-2--4890#eventK365","name":"1909 CE, August 2","headline":"The Lincoln penny was first issued by the United States Mint on August 2, 1909, marking the centennial of... - 1909 CE","description":"The Lincoln penny was first issued by the United States Mint on August 2, 1909, marking the centennial of the birth of President Abraham Lincoln. 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