- United States Coins
- Wheat Pennies
Lincoln Wheat Penny Coins
1909 was the first year wheat penny coins were minted. Replacing Indian Head pennies, which were minted from 1859 through 1909, Lincoln pennies were welcomed by massive crowds that gathered at banks on the August 2nd day that the new one-cent coins arrived in commerce. While the coins were highly popular with the public from day one, there was initial outcry about the prominence of the initials of Victor David Brenner, the designer of the Lincoln wheat penny. His initials, VDB, are located on the reverse side near the rim and centered below the wheat stalks. The quick removal of the initials led to the creation of several varieties of wheat penny coins, which are discussed below.
Read up on the history of lincoln wheat pennies in this special blog post.