When did the U.S. Mint Stop Wheat Pennies?
The last Lincoln Wheat penny, also known as the Lincoln cent, was minted in 1958. The reverse changed in 1959 to feature the Lincoln Memorial instead of two stalks of wheat.
Frank Gasparro designed the reverse of the Lincoln cent to commemorate the sesquicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth.
How Long was the Lincoln Wheat Penny Issued?
The Lincoln Wheat cent was issued from 1909 until 1958. The Lincoln Wheat cent replaced James B. Longacre’s Indian Head cent, which had been struck since 1859
President Roosevelt felt that American coins were in dire need of a change and had tasked Augustus Saint-Gaudens with redesigning American coinage, but he passed away in August of 1907.
In January 1909 U.S. Mint Director Frank A. Leach contacted Victor David Brenner to inquire about a fee for designing a cent to celebrate the centennial of President Lincoln’s birth. Seven months later, the U.S. Mint released the first Lincoln cent.
While the personification of Lady Liberty had been used on many American coins, President Abraham Lincoln was the first person featured on a circulating American coin. The obverse of the Lincoln Wheat Penny has been used longer than any other American coin.
