Lincoln Memorial Cent

The Lincoln motif on the cent was introduced to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Lincoln's birth. On the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's birth, the wheat stalks were replaced with a depiction of the Lincoln Memorial. This design by Assistant Engraver Frank Gasparro, although popular, was criticized for being too simplistic.

The composition of the cent has varied over the years as the Mint has struggled to keep the value of the metal comparable to the value of the coin. The initial composition of the Memorial cent was identical to the Wheat cents; copper, tin, and zinc. Due to a shortage of tin, cents minted from late 1962 through the end were comprised only of copper and zinc. This last composition is technically brass.

In late 1973 the Mint considered alternative compositions again, this time due to the rising price of copper. In response, over 1.5 million aluminum cents were minted with a 1974 date, but due to concerns from the vending industry all but a few were melted.

In 1982 the cent composition changed again in response to increasing metal prices. The Mint changed the composition to a zinc core with pure copper plating. Today increasing metal prices continue to put pressure on the the production costs of the cent, but the biggest threat to its longevity is the issue that the penny may no longer be useful as currency.