New Penny Shows Lincoln Reelin' in the Years

Get your penny loafers out. The U.S. Mint rolled out four new designs for the penny yesterday, in honor of the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth (and the 100th anniversary of the production of the Lincoln cent).

Heads will still feature Lincoln's mug, but the tails side will capture four stages of Lincoln's life. The new coins will be issued in roughly three-month intervals throughout the year. The first, which will be put into circulation on Feb. 12, 2009, will represent Lincoln's birth and early childhood in Kentucky. The others will feature his formative years in Indiana, his professional life in Illinois, and his presidency. You can see the full lineup here.

The Los Angeles Times argues that it makes more sense to get rid of the penny than to redesign it, given that the cent can cost more than a cent to make. In other words, it has outlived its usefulness.

Do you agree?

Reader Comments Read all comments (42)

Add Your Thoughts

Comment Name State Select One AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY International Email

Please enter the two words below into the text field underneath the image.

Incorrect please try again

Enter the words above: Enter the numbers you hear:

Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.