The likeness may have been based on a photograph that had been taken of Lincoln at the studio of one Matthew Brady. Brenner said he had imagined Lincoln as he would have looked reading a story to a child.

It was created by an artist named Victor David Brenner. And it’s the same portrait that’s appeared on every Lincoln cent dating right back to 1909. It shows President Abraham Lincoln in profile facing right.

The obverse of the 1959 penny carries an image that will be familiar to any American. This showed the “Union shield”, and it’s the design you’ll still see on modern Lincoln pennies.Ī lso read: 12 Most Valuable Lincoln Penny Worth Money Features of the 1959 Penny The Obverse of the 1959 Penny That year marked the bicentenary of Lincoln’s birth, and again, a new design was commissioned for the occasion. And it had considerable longevity: the Lincoln Memorial reverse was included on every cent issued until 2009. The new reverse design was the work of Frank Gasparro, who was then the Mint’s Assistant Engraver. With considerable public interest in the new design, over a million proof coins were struck in Philadelphia too. The majority of those were produced at the Mint’s facility in Denver, with the remainder minted in Philadelphia. But while the coins struck in 1959 had the same portrait of Lincoln, the reverse instead depicted the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.Ī little under 2 billion pennies were struck in 1959. The reverse of those pennies bore the simple design of two ears of wheat, and were known as “wheat pennies”. They carried the image of the former president on their obverse – the first time a real person had ever featured on a US coin. The first Lincoln pennies, struck in 1909, had been historic. But the Mint decided a new design was needed to celebrate the anniversary. Coins commemorating his life had already been struck for 50 years. History of the 1959 Pennyġ959 marked 150 years since the birth of the former US president, Abraham Lincoln.

*Values for business strike coins are for those graded red (RD). Ready to find out more? Let’s get started! 1959 Penny Value Chart* And we’ll discover what separates ordinary coins from those that are a bit special. 1959 (P) No Mint Mark Proof Penny ValueĬan pennies dated 1959 be valuable? And if you find one in your pocket change, how do you know if it’s worth holding onto?įor answers to those questions and more, read on! We’re going to explore the 1959 penny value, its history, and its key features.

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