The Lincoln Cent – Part IV – Upcoming Changes

To review our last segment, the Lincoln Cent has undergone many changes. From the VDB initials controversy, composition changes and reverse changes nearly 50 years ago (from Wheat to Memorial). The versatile cent has seen its share of changes.
So what does the future hold for the Lincoln cent? Legislation was recently passed authorized a plethora of coin changes. One of those changes included the cent. The Lincoln cent Title III to the Presidential Dollar Coin Act calls for the elimination of the Lincoln Memorial reverse to be replaced with four different designs depicting the life of Lincoln. In the text of the law the new reverses are referred to as “(A) his birth and early childhood in Kentucky; (B) his formative years in Indiana; (C) his professional life in Illinois; and (D) is presidency, in Washington D.C.” These changes would appear in 2009.
In addition to these circulating designs, the legislation also says, “The Secretary of the Treasury shall issue 1-cent coins in 2009 with the exact metallic content as the 1-cent coin contained in 1909 in such number as the Secretary determines to be appropriate for numismatic purposes.” Will this be a fifth design or a wheat cent? Who knows? It will be a coin struck as proof or uncirculated as non-circulating legal tender.
For 2010 and beyond, the legislation states, “The design on the reverse of the 1-cent coins issued after December 31st, 2009 shall bear an image emblematic of President Lincoln's preservation of the Untied States of America as a single and united country.” This could be an unspecified design or could revert back to the Lincoln Memorial. Since this is several years away, no decision on this appears to be immanent. One question that does appear to be answered is that the cent will continue to be produced despite some calls for its discontinuance. Many believe the penny is no longer useful and should fade away much like the ½ cent. We shall see.