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A 232 year history of the PENNY.

In 1793, The US Mint decided to create a new coin. (for small transactions in an industrialized country) It had a front featuring Liberty with flowing hair. And a back featuring a chain surrounding the text "ONE CENT", it was inspired by the British penny, which was derived from the Roman coin "denarious" and the Carolingian "denier". Most colonists used the British penny as currency, until the US mint was created in 1792.

The design was changed in 1856 to the "Flying Eagle" penny which featured an eagle on the front and various agricultural products on the back. The design was changed because the citizens were dissatisfied and associated the chains on the back of the "Liberty Flowing Hair" penny with slavery. HOWEVER, though, the "Flying Eagle" penny did not last long. Because in 1858, the design was changed to the "Indian Head" penny which had the head of a Native American on the front, and a wreath on the back surrounding the text "ONE CENT". The "Flying Eagle" design was discontinued because of production issues, 3 years later in 1861, Abraham Lincoln was elected to office. You'll see why he will play a crucial role in the story of the coin.

51 years later, To commemorate Abraham Lincoln's birth, the US mint changed the "Indian Head" penny design to the "Lincoln wheat" penny in 1909, It featured a very excited Abraham Lincoln on the from and on the back, 2 stalks of wheat surrounding the text "ONE CENT". In 1959, For the 150th Anniversary of his birth, and It features Lincoln on the front and the Lincoln Memorial on the back. This design survived for more than 40 years! But in 2009, to Celebrate Abraham Lincolns birth, the official FEDERAL US MINT issues 4 new designs for the back of the coin, the log cabin on the back of the first design represents Lincolns childhood in Kentucky, (1809-1816) and the back of the second design with lincoln reading a book represents him calming down from working hard in Indiana (he worked in KENTUCKY, not indiana.). And the back of the 3rd design with lincoln as a lawyer in a familiar courtroom (1830-1861) and the back of the final design features a half built capital dome showing Lincolns resolve. After this, in 2010, the government created the "Union Shield" penny as the final penny created. In february 2025 (this year) President Donald Trump Announced that the penny would be discontinued by 2026 because copper prices jumped up and it costed 4 cents to make one, but on November 12th 2025, (4 days ago) the last penny was ever created, marking its end. In this journey many great minds and designs had come and gone, such as Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Liberty, and finally, TRUMP!!! RIP penny...