Hobbies And Interests
1909
The first appearance of wheat pennies occurred in 1909 when a new version of the one cent coin was commissioned to be reproduced. The penny featured the head of the 16th president Abraham Lincoln---the same portrait that can still be seen today. It was created to celebrate the 100th year anniversary of Lincoln's birthday. The coin also featured the famous wheat stalks on the back---which is where the common name has since stemmed from.
Designer
The first coin that was designed produced in 1909 was created by Victor David Brenner---a close associate of Theodore Roosevelt. The artwork on the coin was considered to be very popular at the time with the public.
Original Minted Version
On the original 1909 version of the coin, Victor David Brenner's initials were inscribed on the coin; however, the Secretary of the Treasury stopped production of coins with the initials---producing a total of only 484,000 minted coins.
World War II
All World War II wheat pennies were created without copper---since copper was considered a vital material and was needed for the military. Steel pennies were created that featured a zinc coating in 1943; however, they were prone to rusting.
End of the Wheat Penny
In 1955---four years prior to the end of the wheat penny---President Eisenhower closed the San Francisco mint as a cost-savings technique---making any wheat pennies that were produced during this year extremely valuable among collectors.
The era of the wheat penny came to an end around the middle of the 20th century. In 1959---the fifth anniversary of the wheat penny---the wheat design was altered to feature the Lincoln Memorial. The design is still used today and was created by an engraver named Frank Gasparro.