Wheatback Penny Mint Mark Collection

The Lincoln Penny was first minted in 1909 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. It was the first circulating coin to feature a real person instead of Lady Liberty.
The reverse of the coin until 1958 was the legendary “wheat ears” design. This collection features three classic Lincoln wheatback Pennies.
There is one coin from each of the three U.S. Mints that struck this coin: Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco. Coins from San Francisco have the “S” mint mark under the date; coins from Denver have the “D” mint mark; and coins from Philadelphia have no mint mark.
Wheatback Lincoln Pennies disappeared from circulation long ago. The Wheatback design was replaced with the Lincoln Memorial on the reverse in 1959. These coins were struck in .950 copper and .050 tin and zinc. Lincoln Pennies have not been struck in copper since 1982, and they are actually worth more than a penny’s worth of copper!