Lincoln Wheat Cent

The Lincoln cent, also called the Wheat penny or Wheat cent, was issued on the 100th anniversary of Lincoln's birth. Part of its appeal lies in the fact that it is the first circulating U.S. coin to feature the likeness of a real person. The 150th anniversary of that event occasioned another design change, the replacement of the wheat stalks on the reverse with a depiction of the Lincoln Memorial. The Lincoln cent was in production from 1909 to 1958. Lincoln pennies were minted around the country. Except for a few years, millions were issued each annually.

The 1918 penny is composed of 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc and weighs 3.11 grams. The front side has Lincoln's image on it, and the reverse side has two wheat stalks on it. One penny in particular was minted in San Francisco, California, in 1909 and had the initials V.D.B. engraved beneath the wheat stalks on the back. Today, these coins are extremely valuable.