Presidential Coins of the 1950s

Lincoln Penny

• For most of the decade, the Lincoln cent was known as a "wheat penny" for the wheat stalks that surrounded the words "ONE CENT" on the reverse. The reverse was changed to feature the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on the reverse in 1959. The composition of the penny at this time was a bronze alloy of 95 percent copper and 5 percent tin and zinc, while modern pennies contain more than 99 percent zinc.

Jefferson Nickel

• The initial design of the nickel honoring Thomas Jefferson, first struck by the U.S. Mint in 1938, was used throughout the 1950s and was not changed until the "Westward Journey" series was minted in 2004. The coin features Jefferson's home of Monticello on the reverse. The coin was comprised of 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel in the 1950s, and this composition is still used today.

Roosevelt Dime

• Dimes from the 1950s carry significantly more value than modern dimes, due to their silver content. Silver comprised 90 percent of the coin's content, compared to 10 percent copper. Modern dimes features a composition of 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel. The design featuring Franklin D. Roosevelt, first struck in 1946, has not changed since that time.

Washington Quarter

• The quarter is another coin that saw little change over the years, until the 1999 program that honored each state in the United States. The original George Washington design from 1932 that featured a spread-winged eagle on the reverse was used throughout the 1950s. Like the dime, this coin was minted with a composition of 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper, since changed to 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel.