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Pennies have been with us for centuries.

In fact, there are few coins as popular — or as important throughout history — as the U.S. penny.

Let’s take a look at 10 amazing facts about pennies that you can astonish your friends and family with!

#10  The first Lincoln penny was made in 1909.

#9  The U.S. Mint strikes a whopping 30 million pennies on an average day.

#8  Victor D. Brenner designed the Lincoln cent in 1909.

#7  Frank Gasparro designed the Lincoln Memorial reverse seen on the Lincoln cent since 1959.

#6  The Indian Head penny was made from 1859 to 1909.

#5  The United States penny used to be a coin nearly the size of a modern-day half dollar.

#4  The current U.S. penny weighs 2.5 grams.

#3  In 1943, the U.S. Mint made zinc-coated steel pennies to conserve copper for the war effort.

#2  Pennies are presently made from a metal combination of 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper.

#1  The U.S. Mint has been making pennies since 1793.