By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..
The 2009 Lincoln Formative Years Cent is the second of the 4 circulating commemorative Lincoln Bicentennial Cent designs that the United States Mint issued to commemorate the two hundredth anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s beginning. The theme for the primary coin within the collection was Lincoln’s beginning and early childhood dwelling in a easy log cabin in Kentucky. For the second coin, the Mint issued a design that spoke to Lincoln’s years as a younger man pursuing his training whereas supporting his household as a rail splitter.
Abraham Lincoln in Indiana
After making an attempt his hand at farming in Kentucky, Abraham Lincoln’s father, Thomas Lincoln, Sr., moved the household to an undeveloped wooded space in Perry County, Indiana in 1816. The long run President was simply seven years outdated on the time, and his father, desperate to rebuild his household’s funds after dropping every little thing in title disputes in Kentucky, returned to farming. Life on the frontier remained laborious, however the legal guidelines governing the newly admitted state of Indiana had been extra favorable to landowners. With the assistance of his son’s labor and mind, Thomas Lincoln was finally capable of set up an 80-acre homestead with a transparent title.
The household’s poor funds stored younger Lincoln toiling on the farm as a substitute of attending faculty on a often. His stepmother Sarah Bush Johnston, though uneducated herself, noticed in Lincoln a love for studying and studying and inspired him to pursue his training, which he did intermittently. Thomas Lincoln, together with his eyesight failing, offered his land and moved the household to Macon County, Illinois in 1830. On the time, Abraham Lincoln was 21 years outdated.
The 2009 Lincoln Formative Years Cent is Launched
The coin launch ceremony for the 2009 Lincoln Formative Years Cent was held on Might 14 on the 1,500-seat Lincoln Amphitheater in Lincoln State Park in Lincoln Metropolis, Indiana. Regardless of inclement climate, a big crowd gathered earlier within the day to mark the discharge of the second Bicentennial Cent. A Brinks truck full of a million rolled cents delivered the cash on behalf of Freedom Nationwide Financial institution. Attendees waited in line for hours to buy between two and 6 rolls of the brand new coin.
Regardless of warnings from state officers towards profiteering on state grounds in the course of the alternate, many individuals offered their allotment of cents to coin seller representatives of SilverTowne, Chattanooga Coin Co., and others. Coin World author Paul Gilkes reported within the June 1, 2009 challenge, that SilverTowne was paying $10 per roll, whereas Chattanooga had mailed promotional materials to native residents providing $5 per roll.
The promoters landed no less than a couple of hundred rolls for his or her efforts as NGC and PCGS report a mixed inhabitants of First Day of Problem cash at 19,076. The most typical NGC grade for the first day release was MS66RD; for PCGS, the most common grade was MS65RD.
Copper Variations for Collectors
Whereas the Mint discontinued using bronze planchets to strike cents in 1982, for the discharge of the 2009 cents, the U.S. Mint provided collectors a commemorative putting of the cash within the classic bronze format. The looks of the common circulation strike cash and the collector variations is barely completely different however is well differentiated by weight. Zinc cents weigh 2.5 grams, whereas the copper-alloy model weighs 3.11 grams.
Collectors may additionally purchase examples of the 2009 cent by buying the 2009 Uncirculated Coin Set, which contained one in every of every coin design struck for circulation in 2009, together with the Washington, D.C., and Territorial Quarters, 4 Presidential {Dollars}, and the inaugural launch of the Native American Greenback program. Units carried a problem value of $27.95 ($41.64 in 2024 inflation-adjusted {dollars}) and customarily promote in the present day for about $30.
If licensed, these specifically ready cash ought to grade larger than their corresponding circulation-strike variations. NGC and PCGS have licensed just below 1,000 examples at SP/MS69. These cash promote for about $100.
A number of Doubled Dies
Eagle-eyed collectors have recognized greater than 100 doubled die varieties of the 2009 Lincoln Formative Years Cent. Most are minor and require shut examination below excessive magnification. Some, nevertheless, are fairly distinct and present clear doubling of Lincoln’s fingers. PCGS acknowledges the eight Doubled Die Reverse varieties listed within the Cherrypicker’s Information.
Submissions = Enthusiasm
As mentioned in our part on the coin’s launch, enthusiasm for the 2009 Lincoln Formative 12 months Cents was excessive. Wanting on the submission information, we see that curiosity within the four-coin program peaked with this launch. The latter two designs noticed diminished demand, particularly at PCGS. By the discharge of the fourth design, a lot of the motivation for entrepreneurs to submit the coin in bulk was gone. We interpret this to imply that the licensed cash didn’t carry out properly upon launch.
How A lot Are 2009 Lincoln Formative Years Cents Price At present?
At present’s 2009 Lincoln Formative Years Cent worth runs from 1¢ for an abnormal cent pulled out of circulation to probably $500 or extra for pristine examples, unmarred by flaws, stains, or put on. The everyday circulated instance, nevertheless, is graded MS66RD and sells for about $10 or much less.
2009 Lincoln Formative Years Cents had been saved in uncirculated situation in adequate numbers. Even on a restricted price range, anyone can purchase a shiny crimson uncirculated instance uncooked for lower than $1 per coin on web sites like eBay. Authentic United States Mint 50-coin rolls promote for about $10 every.
For the foreseeable future, the price of encapsulation will restrict the variety of cash submitted to CAC, NGC, or PCGS for grading. A lot of the examples in NGC and PCGS holders had been submitted in the course of the coin’s instant launch window, as this was when revenue potential for bulk submitters was at its highest. Due to this, the licensed populations don’t replicate the true shortage of the problem, and one mustn’t learn something into the present top-pop census information as these numbers may simply multiply by a hundred-fold or extra if the revenue incentive existed.
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Market Information and Noteworthy Specimens
2009 Lincoln Cent, Formative Years – Zinc Circulation Strike
High Inhabitants: PCGS MS68RD (3, 11/2024), NGC MS68RD (33, 11/2024), and CAC N/A (0:0 stickered:graded, 11/2024).
- NGC MS66RD #3295880-306: eBay, November 19, 2024 – $12.95. First Day of Problem.
- NGC MS66RD #3294324-466: eBay, November 18, 2024 – $9.89. First Day of Problem.
- NGC MS66RD #3294453-426: eBay, November 17, 2024 – $3.25. First Day of Problem.
- NGC MS66RD #3294983-148: eBay, November 9, 2024 – $4.00 First Day of Problem.
- PCGS MR66RD #48157206: eBay, November 3, 2024 – $7.99.
- PCGS MS66RD #48156204: eBay, November 3, 2024 – $7.99.
- NGC MS66RD #4336430-002: eBay, October 28, 2024 – $65. DDR, FS-802.
- Two Authentic Mint Sealed Rolls: eBay, November 20, 2024 – $8.99.
2009 Lincoln Cent, Formative Years – Copper Mint Set Model
High Inhabitants: PCGS SP69RD (262, 11/2024), NGC MS69RD (243, 11/2024), and CAC N/A (0:0 stickered:graded, 11/2024).
- Philadelphia Mint Set (contains all P-Mint Cash): eBay, November 22, 2024 – $18.95.
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Design
Obverse:
The obverse of the 2009 Lincoln Cent was designed by Victor David Brenner and seems largely because it did when the sort was first minted in 1909. The primary distinction between the fashionable obverse versus the 1909 model is the situation of Brenner’s initials, V.D.B., which had been added below Lincoln’s bust in 1918 after their elimination from the reverse in late 1909. The yr 2009 seems to the proper of Lincoln. The motto IN GOD WE TRUST seems above the president, and behind him (viewer’s left) is the phrase LIBERTY.
Reverse:
A youthful Abraham Lincoln, dressed for handbook labor open air, is sitting on a log and studying. Earlier than to his break, he was laborious at work splitting the tree trunk with a mallet and wedge (each of that are seen to his proper) to make rails for practice tracks. Wrapping clockwise across the prime of the design is the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and above the wedge and mallet filling up a lot of the subject is the denomination ONE CENT in two strains. The motto E ∙ PLURIBUS ∙ UNUM runs counterclockwise alongside the underside of the coin. Former Sculptor-Engraver Charles L. Vickers designed the reverse; his initials CLV are on the backside of the go online the proper.
Edge:
The sting of the 2009 Lincoln Cent is apparent or easy.
2009 Lincoln Bicentennial Cent – Formative Years Specs
| Nation: | United States of America |
| 12 months of Problem: | 2009 |
| Denomination: | One Cent (USD) |
| Mintmark: | None (Philadelphia) |
| Mintage: | 376,000,000 circulation strikes in copper-played zinc, 784,614 in Satin End for Uncirculated Coin Units |
| Alloy: | .992 zinc and .008 copper, plated with pure copper (Zinc); .950 copper, .050 tin and zinc (Copper) |
| Weight: | 2.50 g (Zinc); 3.11 g (Copper) |
| Diameter: | 19.05 mm |
| Edge: | Plain |
| OBV Designer: | Victor David Brenner |
| REV Designer: | Charles L. Vickers |
| High quality: | Enterprise Strike |
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