He was affronted by these artists that had been brought in to do his job, and he didn’t like the Lincoln Cent. The next suggestion was to just use B, but that would take too long, and the current Mint Engraver (Charles Barber) was against it for two reasons. When that was rejected, he replaced it with VDB. Designers were allowed to put their initials on coins as a sort of signature or monogram. He asked the mint to hire Saint-Gaudens, but the sculptor died before completing his work, and his assistant continued the project. But Theodore Roosevelt (the 26 th US President) wanted US currency to be attractive and artistic, not just functional. A bit of background – before the 1900s, coins were designed by mint staff, particularly the Chief Mint Engraver and his assistant.

He was an assistant to Augustus Saint-Gaudens. It wasn’t discovered until years later, but this error retroactively drew collectors’ attention toward the 1956 penny.Īlso, 1956 Pennies are VDB Pennies. The decision had been debated since 1952, and in 1955 a double-die variety of the penny slipped into circulation. In 1959, the reverse design of the penny switched to the Lincoln Memorial, so the years before the change appeal to collectors. The legend had earlier appeared on a 2-cent. The penny was also the first 1-cent coin to have In God We Trust. It was the first US coin to feature an American leader because George Washington (1 st US President and Founding Father) shot down this habit back when the American Republic began. The penny has various characteristic traits that make it memorable. More commemorative pennies were made for his 100 th, 150 th, and 200 th birthdays, each with a special reverse design. He was assassinated in 1865, but the coin celebrated the year of his birth, 1809. The American Penny is popularly known as the Lincoln Cent because it was coined to honor Abraham Lincoln, the 16 th President of the United States. For now, let’s find the true 1956 Penny Value. For reference, pennies have seven reverse designs including wheat, memorial, and shield. The 1956 Penny is a Wheat Cent because of the design on its back. We call them pennies in America because that’s what they’re called in the United Kingdom, and we used to be a British Colony way back when.

1898 indian head wheat penny value