Bill Jones small cents
1C LINCOLN, MEMORIAL REVERSE (1959-2008)

Owner Comments:

In 1959 the “wheatears reverse” that had appeared on the Lincoln cent was replaced by a view of the Lincoln Memorial. Nineteen fifty-nine was the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth and the 100th anniversary of the Lincoln cent. Chief Mint Engraver, Frank Gasparro, created the Lincoln Memorial design. The coin is rather unusual in that it has depictions of the same person on both sides. A tiny rendition of the Lincoln Memorial stature appears between the two center columns on the reverse of the coin.

Unfortunately the tiny size of the cent and the need to mass produce the coin by the billions limited the mint’s ability to represent the great memorial in its best light. Some more cynical observers have characterized the design as a “trolley car.”

The example of the coin presented here is an example of the beauty achieved by the Ultra Cameo Proof format. Despite the limitations of the reverse the design, the sharp contrast between the devices and fields give this coin a striking appearance.