Top 10 Things You Didn't Know About the Penny

Aug. 2, 2009, marks the 100th anniversary of the Lincoln penny, the longest-running U.S. coin still in circulation. The U.S. Mint had been producing one-cent coins since its founding in 1792, but the 1909 penny (which replaced the Indian-head coin) was the first coin on which a President's likeness appeared. Teddy Roosevelt commissioned the coin to celebrate the 100th birthday of Abraham Lincoln. While most people applauded the new design, former Confederate soldiers were upset at the prospect of carrying the image of Lincoln in their pockets. Today, on the occasion of Lincoln's 200th birthday, the U.S. Mint has produced four special-edition pennies with reverse-side designs that depict different periods in the famous President's life. Three of the pennies have already been released; the final design will debut on Aug. 13.

See pictures of Abraham Lincoln.