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:
| Year | Mint | Finish | Variety (Mint Set in parentheses) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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!
I’m the Coin Editor here at TheFunTimesGuide. My love for coins began when I was 11 years old. I primarily collect and study U.S. coins produced during the 20th century. I’m a member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG) and have won multiple awards from the NLG for my work as a coin journalist. I’m also the editor at the Florida United Numismatists Club (FUN Topics magazine), and author of Images of America: The United States Mint in Philadelphia (a book that explores the colorful history of the Philadelphia Mint). I’ve contributed hundreds of articles for various coin publications including COINage, The Numismatist, Numismatic News, Coin Dealer Newsletter, Coin Values, and CoinWeek. I’ve authored nearly 1,000 articles here at The Fun Times Guide to Coins (many of them with over 50K shares), and I welcome your coin questions in the comments below!
