By: Mobin
The Flying Eagle cent from 1856-1858 was the first small cent coin. The 1856 coins are very rare.
Indian Head cents ran from 1859-1909. The design featured Lady Liberty wearing a Native American headdress.
Lincoln Wheat cents with the wheat stalk reverse spanned 1909-1958. They marked Lincoln's 100th birthday.
The Lincoln Memorial reverse design debuted in 1959 for the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's birth.
The Lincoln Shield reverse was introduced in 2010 for the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth in 1809.
Cents started as copper-nickel then switched to bronze in 1864. Today's cents are 97.5% zinc with a copper plating.
Cents are extremely popular with collectors. Many collect by date and mintmark or look for valuable errors.