Coin Specifications

The Lincoln Cent had a number of different compositions during the long history of the series. The first composition was the bronze composition used on the prior Indian Head Cent series. This composition contained a mixture of copper, tin, and zinc. The combination of tin and copper create the alloy bronze. This composition was used to start the series, was briefly replaced by different compositions, until the tin was removed completely in 1962. After this point, the series contained only a mixture of copper and zinc.

The original Lincoln Cent featured a bust of Lincoln on the obverse and a pair of wheat ears on the reverse that forms the basis for the common name Wheat penny. In 1959, the reverse was changed to a rendition of the Lincoln Memorial by Frank Gasparro.

Bronze Lincoln Cent Coin Specifications

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