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The U.S. Mint is offering a proof set dedicated to the 4 special 1-cent coins honoring Abraham Lincolns’ life and career.

The 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial One-Cent Proof Set brings collectors all 4 special reverse (tail’s side) designs which have been included on 2009 Lincoln cents.

Before this, the 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial proof cents were shipped in a large proof set offering — which also included the 2009 nickel, dime, quarters, half-dollar, and dollar coins.

What makes the 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial One-Cent Proof Set distinct is that it includes only the 4 Lincoln cents. This gives collectors who want just those coins a chance to avoid having to pay over $20 more to purchase a bunch of unneeded coins (as would come in the regular 18-coin proof set).

Coins In The Proof Set

The following coins are packaged in the Lincoln Bicentennial One-Cent Proof Set:

• Birth Year Lincoln Cent
• Formative Years Lincoln Cent
• Professional Life Lincoln Cent
• Presidency Lincoln Cent

All 4 of these coins are being struck at the U.S. Mint location in San Francisco and include the “S” mintmark. The coins come encased in a single clear, plastic lens (a flat, rectangular case used for many of the U.S. Mint’s proof set products).

The 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial One-Cent Proof Set is currently available from the U.S. Mint for $7.95.

Even if you cannot manage to buy a 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial One-Cent Proof Set directly from the U.S. Mint, you can still purchase the set from many coin dealers who carry and sell proof sets from previous years. Prices will likely be different than those set by the Mint.

Collecting 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial One-Cent Coins

The 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial one-cent coins come in several different varieties.

In fact, if you count the uncirculated strikes, the proof specimens, and the Philadelphia (no mintmark), Denver (“D”) and San Francisco pieces… there are a total of 20 different 2009 Lincoln cents:

• 2009 Philadelphia copper-plated zinc Lincoln Birth Year cent
• 2009 Philadelphia copper satin-finish Lincoln Birth Year cent (in mint sets)
• 2009 Denver copper-plated zinc Lincoln Birth Year cent
• 2009 Denver copper satin-finish Lincoln Birth Year cent (in mint sets)
• 2009 San Francisco proof Birth Year cent (copper)
• 2009 Philadelphia copper-plated zinc Lincoln Formative Years cent
• 2009 Philadelphia copper satin-finish Lincoln Formative Years cent (in mint sets)
• 2009 Denver copper-plated zinc Lincoln Formative Years cent
• 2009 Denver copper satin-finish Lincoln Formative Years cent (in mint sets)
• 2009 San Francisco proof Formative Years cent (copper)
• 2009 Philadelphia copper-plated zinc Lincoln Professional Life cent
• 2009 Philadelphia copper satin-finish Lincoln Professional Life cent (in mint sets)
• 2009 Denver copper-plated zinc Lincoln Professional Life cent
• 2009 Denver copper satin-finish Lincoln Professional Life cent (in mint sets)
• 2009 San Francisco proof Professional Life cent (copper)
• 2009 Philadelphia copper-plated zinc Lincoln Presidency cent
• 2009 Philadelphia copper satin-finish Lincoln Presidency cent (in mint sets)
• 2009 Denver copper-plated zinc Lincoln Presidency cent
• 2009 Denver copper satin-finish Lincoln Presidency cent (in mint sets)
• 2009 San Francisco proof Presidency cent (copper)

Wow! The U.S. Mint sure has a way with making lots of different coins every year, huh?!

So, there you see all 20 different Lincoln cents available for 2009. Of course, you will not find all these in circulation as the copper, satin-finish coins and the proof coins are all in collector’s sets.

Still, you can see that the collector has much to be excited about for 2009 Lincoln cents. And the proof cents that are being released in the 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial One-Cent Coin Proof Set help make the year in Lincoln cent collecting even more interesting!