Is This the Age of a New Penny??? (USA)

[dunno001]

mysticwolf said:

So, I was sorting my spare change, and I came across this:

I've never seen it before, but it's real, because I have one in my  hand right now.

In case you aren't familiar with U.S. currency, this is what pennies haved looked like from 1958 until present day:

But with this new penny, they have changed the "reverse" or "tails" side.

Before 1958, the pennies looked like this:

They are called "wheat pennies." The government stopped making them in mid-1958.

Now, I see a new penny. They never change the pennies, but quarters and nickels are changed a lot . Does this mean that we won't be seeing any more new pennies that have the Lincoln Memorial? Will we use these new pennies with the crest for the next 50 years, only to have it changed again?

Well, there's your history lesson to get you ready to go back to school. Or, if you are already back in school, then go tell it to one of your teachers or whatever. Or, if you aren't in school, then go tell your best friend.

Hmm... you left some things out, actually. The Lincoln Memorial reverse was started in 1959, not 1958. (The last year of what are called "wheat pennies" is 1958. As for the current design you posted, yes, that is the 2010 design. No idea on its permanency, but the penny changed in 2009 to celebrate Lincoln's 200th birthday, and the 100th anniversary of the Lincoln penny. There were 4 different reverses done last year. Finally, there's more to the 50 year span that you didn't mention, though it may all be by coincidence: the penny changed in 2009, 1959, 1909, and yes, 1859. I've seen these called both Liberty pennies and Indian head pennies. Getting a penny before 1859 will be considerably different; you'll either have the flying eagle design (1856-1858), or one of the large cent varieties (1793-1857). Sorry, but one of my side hobbies is coin collecting, so...