2009 Penny Values: Facts About 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial Pennies (4 Designs), Little-Known Errors, And How Much 2009 Pennies Are Worth

Do you have a 2009 penny? Are you looking for examples of all 4 of the different Lincoln designs seen on the reverse (tails) side of the 2009 pennies?

A lot of people ask me if these special 2009 pennies are worth anything more than face value — due to their unique commemorative designs.

The answer? It depends.

I’ll tell you a lot more about these 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial cents and what your 2009 pennies are worth…

2009 Penny Facts

2009 marks the first year since 1958 that the one-cent coin did not have a design of the Lincoln Memorial — which replaced the wheat ears design on the reverse (tails side) of the coin in 1959 and remained there until 2008.

U.S. pennies made in 2009 honor the Bicentennial (200th anniversary) of Abraham Lincoln’s birth on February 12, 1809.

The Lincoln Bicentennial pennies have 4 different reverse designs that show scenes of Abraham Lincoln throughout his colorful personal and professional life.

These 4 commemorative coins, which were released one at a time throughout the course of 2009, were first introduced to the public on Lincoln’s 200th birthday — February 12, 2009.

The 2009 Lincoln pennies depict the following:

• Lincoln’s birth and early childhood in his Kentucky log cabin home (1809-1816)
• Lincoln’s formative years, in which he read books and was extensively educated in Indiana (1816-1830)
• Lincoln’s professional life as a lawyer and senator for Illinois (1830-1861)
• Lincoln’s presidency in Washington, D.C. (1861-1865) 

The 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial cents were released into circulation, meaning they could be obtained for face value — plucked right from pocket change for merely 1 cent each.

While there were hundreds of millions of 2009 pennies to go around, the United States Mint also issued special collectors’ editions of the 2009 Lincoln cents. These coins were widely available to collectors through mail order, phone orders, and online. Like the circulation-issued 2009 Lincoln pennies, these special edition coins aren’t rare.

Among these collectibles are San Francisco S-mint proofs and satin-finish collector Lincoln cents that were made with 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc — which was the same composition as the first Lincoln pennies in 1909. These became the first copper one-cent coins the United States had made since 1982.

While the 95% copper satin-finish 2009 Lincoln cents have much lower mintages than their zinc-based business-strike counterparts, they are not considered rare coins. They are, however, highly desirable and are avidly collected.

The Bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth inspired many odes to the 16th president:

• In addition to the Bicentennial 2009 pennies, U.S. Mint released the 2009 Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial silver dollar — which is now worth about $30 to $40 in proof or uncirculated condition.
• Lincoln Bicentennial celebrations were held throughout 2009. For example, in May 2009 the Lincoln Memorial (a Washington, D.C., icon that was built in 1922 and appeared on Lincoln cents) was rededicated.
• Other tributes were also offered around the United States in small towns and large cities — including parades, concerts, and community gatherings.

How Much Are 2009 Pennies Worth?

Wondering what your 2009 penny is worth today?

As you’ll see below, most 2009 Lincoln cents are worth face value if they’re worn — which would apply to just about any 2009 penny that you’ll find in your spare change.

2009 Lincoln Penny Errors

In addition to the regular-issue 2009 pennies listed above, there are also some 2009 Lincoln error pennies and unusual varieties that can be found.

This video describes some of the 2009 Lincoln penny errors and what to look for: