3 Centuries of Cents

This trio of coins span over 100 years of America's most recognizable coins. From the Indian Head Penny struck from 1859 to 1909 to the one-year-only 1943 WWII Steel Cent, to the more modern Shield Cent, first issued in 2010. The Indian Head Penny is one of the most cherished of all United States coins, but it is now long out of issue and is a treasured addition to any collection. The Indian Head Penny was minted from 1859-1909. It depicts an Indian princess in a war bonnet and was one of the first U.S. coins to feature a Native American. According to legend, designer James B. Longacre actually used a portrait of his daughter, Sarah, wearing an Indian headdress. It is a symbol of America’s westward expansion, as well as a moving tribute to Native Americans in U.S. history.
In 1943, the U.S. Mint made Lincoln Pennies with steel instead of copper as a one-year-only emergency coin. Copper was essential for items like bullet casings and shell cases for the U.S. military in World War II. This was the first and only time in history that the U.S. has issued a steel coin. Steel Pennies were made only in 1943, so this is a one-year-only coin type.
The 2010 Lincoln Penny was the first Penny with a new permanent reverse design since 1959. The 2010 reverse features the Union shield with a scroll bearing the inscription ONE CENT. The 13 vertical stripes on the shield represent the 13 original states that formed the United States of America. The federal government is represented by the horizontal bar with the inscription E PLURIBUS UNUM (“out of many, one”) above the stripes.