Abraham Lincoln was the first historical figure to appear on a U.S. coin.
As one of the most revered presidents in American history, Abraham Lincoln has been honored in countless ways. That includes the penny, which was the first U.S. coin to feature a historical figure of any kind. The Lincoln penny was first issued in 1909 to honor what would have been the president’s 100th birthday. The original 1-cent piece, which was made of pure copper and introduced in the 1790s, featured a female figure symbolizing liberty and was nearly 50% larger than its modern counterpart. The size shrank in 1856 when the composition changed to 88% copper and 12% nickel; this was also when the flying eagle design was introduced.
Today’s pennies are made of copper and zinc and still feature Honest Abe, though there have been several variations. Due to a copper shortage during World War II, pennies were briefly made of zinc-coated steel. Then, in 2009, Lincoln’s bicentennial was celebrated with four new variants of the penny marking different eras of his life on the reverse side: his birth and early childhood in Kentucky, his formative years in Indiana, his professional life in Illinois, and finally his presidency. However, the U.S. Treasury announced its plan to end production of the penny in 2025, citing the high cost of production: One penny costs more than 3 cents to make.
