Why does the 2009 Penny Look Different?

The 2009 penny was minted to celebrate two whole anniversaries. Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday and the 100th anniversary of the Lincoln penny. A special coin for a special occasion.

What is the 2009 penny value? Read this article to see many 2009 designs, and find out their significance and value.

This is the best app to check coin value for this and many other pennies.

2009 Penny Designs

In 2009, the US Mint celebrated two big anniversaries.

• The 200th anniversary of the birth of US President Abraham Lincoln.

• The 100th anniversary of the Lincoln Penny itself.

The mint decided to go all out and produced four different Lincoln Bicentennial cents. They had the same obverse, but each had a unique reverse design commemorating different phases of Abraham Lincoln's life: 

• Birth and Early Childhood

• Formative Years

• Professional Life

• Presidency

We will start by looking at the front. All four designs share the same obverse. Then we’ll look at the individual reverse designs.

Obverse: A portrait of Abraham Lincoln. The inscription "IN GOD WE TRUST" arches over Lincoln from above. The words "LIBERTY" are to the left of Lincoln’s portrait. The date (2009)  to the right of Lincoln, with the mint mark (D, P, or S).

Fun fact: The Lincoln penny was the first U.S. coin to feature a real person! And Lincoln has been a part of the design for more than a century, since he appeared on the 1909 Penny.

Now let’s see the 2009 penny back.

Birth and Early Childhood

This piece symbolizes where it all started. A simple log cabin. The cabin represents Lincoln’s birthplace in Hardin County, Kentucky.

Sometimes this piece is referred to as “2009 log cabin penny”.

“Birth and Early Childhood” was designed by Richard Masters and James Licaretz.

Formative Years

This design depicts young Abraham Lincoln reading a book while taking a break from rail-splitting. Lincoln had many jobs, and in his childhood, he had to split rails by cutting logs.

Sometimes people refer to this piece as “2009 penny with man sitting on log”. Keep that in mind if you’re buying/selling.

“Formative Years” was designed by Charles Vickers.

Professional Life

The coin depicts Lincoln standing in front of the Illinois State Capitol, holding a book and a rolled-up document. Lincoln’s political career took off in Illinois.

“Professional Life” was designed by Joel Iskowitz.

Presidency

The coin features a half-finished U.S. Capitol dome under construction during the Civil War. It’s a symbol of how Lincoln’s presidency was forming during the Civil War.

“Presidency” was designed by Susan Gamble.

2009 Penny Overview

Now you know why this coin looks different sometimes. At least one thing stays the same: dimensions and materials.

2009 Penny Varieties

Lincoln penny 2009 has a similar value for its four designs. What actually influences the price is the mint marks. They appear on the obverse, on the right side.

You’ll encounter three mint mark types for this coin:

• No mint mark. Signifies that the piece was minted in Philadelphia.

• “D” mint mark. Signifies that the piece was minted in Denver.

• “S” mint mark. Signifies that the piece was minted in San Francisco.

2009 Penny No Mint Mark Value

Look for: A blank surface on the coin’s obverse.

Mintage: 284,400,000 (Childhood), 376,000,000 (Formative), 316,000,000 (Professional), 129,600,000 (Presidency) = 1,106,000,000 

Estimated Value: ~$1.

The 2009 penny value no mint mark is the lowest among its counterparts. Mainly due to the big mintage.

2009 D Penny Value

Look for: A mark “D” on the coin’s obverse.

Mintage: 350,400,000 (Childhood), 363,600,000 (Formative), 336,000,000 (Professional), 198,000,000 (Presidency) = 1,248,000,000 

Estimated Value: ~$1.

The values and mintages are similar between the Denver and Philadelphia mints. 2009 D penny with man on back is the most prominent variety for this mark.

2009 S Penny Value

Look for: A mark “S” on the coin’s obverse.

Mintage: 2,995,615 (distributed approximately evenly throughout the designs)

Estimated Value: ~$3.

“S” pieces are special because they were reserved for proof coins foremost. Coins that were made not for circulation, but for collecting and gifting. There are only a few of them, and their value is usually higher.

2009 Penny Grading 

The 2009 Lincoln penny value depends largely on coin grading. Pieces that have the best luster and most details get the highest grading point and are worth more money.

Considering that the coin is not too old, most take it above “Good” condition. What to do if you're among the unlucky few with low-grade pennies? Then try to look if your piece has errors. A rare 2009 penny with a flaw is valuable.

2009 Penny Error List with Pictures

The 2009 Lincoln bicentennial penny is almost contemporary, but some pieces were minted with flaws and left like this. The collectors would love to get their hands on an error valuable error 2009 penny with:

• Doubled Die 

• Die Clash

• Off-Center Strike

• Cuds

• Missing Clad Layer

• Blank Planchet

• And other errors

We’ll concentrate on the two most prominent errors. Other flaws technically can appear, but they have scarce documentation. If you have an older piece, like a 1960 Lincoln penny, it could have more flaws.

Doubled Die Error

Identifiable by: Doubled designs, like leaves, fingers, letters, etc.

Error cause: The die is struck twice accidentally due to misalignments.

Estimated value:  $5-30, depending on the severity.

For the error valuable 2009 penny with man sitting on log value is not super-high. It’s probably the most recognizable and most common error. 

Double Dies are so common that you can make Tops of double die pennies.

Die Clash Error

Identifiable by: Misplaced elements and “Ghostly images”, like prints.

Error cause: The obverse and reverse dies strike each other without a planchet. They imprint on each other as a result.

Estimated value:  $10-20, depending on the severity.

If you look at the photo above, Lincoln’s ear looks a bit misshapen. It has extra lines.

2009 Penny Value

Time to see a 2009 penny worth! 

The 2009 bicentennial penny value is generally low! A big mintage and a recent date result in a lower price.

Keep in mind that we couldn’t include errors, as they are an exclusion. Also, the market is changing, so next year (2026) the prices may change. 

For now, it’s better to hold onto your coin and let it become more valuable with time. Who knows, maybe one day your coin will be on the Top 100 Pennies list.

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