A question about coins...Who knows why or when they changed the back side of the penny?

[Stuart G]

There is Lincoln on the front, but they changed it from the Lincoln Memorial to something else. Why did they do such a thing, and when did they do it?

Now this happened several years ago, and I think I noticed it before, but today, for some reason it kind of bothered me. I was not asked you know, maybe someone out there was asked, or consulted or knows this ridiculous change in ....."a penny"

I might add, this is not the most important question in today's world, and it isn't a new question..(it is
for me) ..But perhaps someone in the lounge has an answer. Yes, the lounge usually has most answers...
.........................and I bow to you...............................................................................

......................................................

[EarnestPutz]

1. Was it when they went from a copper penny to an...

...alloy penny? The old ones became known as "wheat" pennies
because of the old design.

[Stuart G]

2. I really don't know...?? I haven't got a clue..all I know it was in the last 10 years....

.....The Lincoln Memorial is gone, replaced by a symbol of some kind.. .....

[LawnKorn]

3. They don't talk about the back of a penny much.

It was changed from the 'wheat back' to the Lincoln memorial because people did not want any GMO wheat on the currency.

Later the Lincoln memorial was closed for maintenance, and they switched to the other backs until it reopens.

Hope this helps.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

12. Lol. Nt

[Sneederbunk]

4. I can remember when they changed the wheat penny to memorial.

[SeattleVet]

5. They started changing in 2009, when they had 4 different designs...

to celebrate Lincoln's bicentennial. They had the Birth and Early Childhood (log cabin), Formative Years in Illinois (reading, sitting on a partially split log), Professional life in Illinois (standing by the capitol), Presidency in DC (the building of the US Capitol dome)

All new mintage since 2010 is the shield design.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_(United_States_coin)

[Stuart G]

8. Thank You...that is what the back is..."shield design"

I will hit the link..Stuart G says, ........"shield design is ugly"...

Here is more information on this..........from a Wikipedia article...
Here is link:...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny

The 2005 act that authorized the redesign for the Bicentennial stated that another redesigned reverse for the Lincoln cent will be minted which "shall bear an image emblematic of President Lincoln's preservation of the United States of America as a single and united country".[19] Eighteen designs were proposed for the reverse of the 2010 cent.[20] On April 16, 2009 the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) met and selected a design that showed 13 wheat sheaves bound together with a ring symbolizing American unity as one nation.[21] Later this design was withdrawn because it was similar to coinage issued in Germany in the 1920s.[22] The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee later met and chose a design showing a Union shield with ONE CENT superimposed in a scroll; E Pluribus Unum was also depicted in the upper portion of the shield.[22][23] In June 2009 the CFA met again and chose a design featuring a modern rendition of the American flag.[24] As a part of the release ceremony for the last of the 2009 cents on November 12, the design for the 2010 cent was announced.[25] The design chosen was the one that was chosen earlier by the CCAC.[25] According to the Mint, the 13 stripes on the shield "represent the states joined in one compact union to support the Federal government, represented by the horizontal bar above."[26] The Mint also noted that a shield was commonly used in paintings in the Capitol hallways painted by Constantino Brumidi, an artist in the Capitol active during the Lincoln Presidency.[26] The obverse of the cent was also changed to a modern rendition of Brenner's design.[27][25] The new Union Shield design replaces the Lincoln memorial in use since 1959.[25] The coin was designed by artist Lyndall Bass and sculpted by U.S. Mint sculptor-engraver Joseph Menna.[28] In January 2010, the coins were released early in Puerto Rico;[29] this was caused by a shortage of 2009-dated pennies on the island.[27] The new design was released at a ceremony at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, Illinois on February 11, 2010.[30] In 2017, cents minted in Philadelphia were struck with a "P" mintmark to celebrate the 225th anniversary of the U.S. Mint. 2017 is the only year that Philadelphia cents have had a mintmark.[31]

[PennyK]

6. 1959!

I KNEW it was further back! My brother is a coin collector and this was a big deal to him. I think it was the first time a US coin was redesigned that we knew of.

[defacto7]

7. I've got a Lincoln head 1909 S vdb if anyone knows what that is.

[Fla Dem]

9. The Story Behind The Controversial 1909 VDB Penny & 1909 S VDB Penny

Have you ever heard of the 1909 S VDB penny?

While you may know that the “S” is the mint mark (meaning it was struck at the San Francisco mint), did you ever wonder what the V.D.B. stood for?

V.D.B. actually refers to the designer of the Lincoln cent, Victor David Brenner.

There were also 1909 VDB pennies produced without the “S” which indicates that they were struck at the Philadelphia mint.

https://coins.thefuntimesguide.com/1909_vdb_penny/

You have to scroll down for the whole story.

Wikipedia has a mention of it as well.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_(United_States_coin)

[defacto7]

10. yep, that's it.

My uncle was a banker in the 50's and 60's. He had several and gave me one when I was a kid. Only a quarter million minted. It's in a safe depost box and I'll probably pass it down to my kids. I also have a 1909 vdb and a 1909 S as well as a 1909 Indian head.

[DFW]

13. My friends down in Dallas handle these things all the time

They must handle 50 or more a year at least. www.HA.com

A couple of weeks ago they even handled an 1885 Trade Dollar for $4 million. It's not just kids filling out their Whitman cent folders any more!

[hunter]

11. As with the switch from copper to copper-plated zinc pennies...

... they did it to make a coin that is cheaper to produce.

I figure the dies used to make the Lincoln Memorial back wear out quicker.

The quality of all U.S. coins is pretty crappy these days.