2009 Lincoln Presidency Cent Launch, Abraham Lincoln Bronze Medal

Some preliminary details for the launch ceremony for the fourth and final 2009 Lincoln Cent design are available via a recent Coin World article.

The ceremony will take place on November 12, 2009 at 10:00 AM ET. It will be held at the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial located at the base of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Further details of ceremony events and attendees have not yet been announced.

The fourth 2009 Lincoln Cent reverse design represents Lincoln's Presidency. A half completed view of the U.S. Capitol building is depicted, as designed by Susan Gamble and sculpted by Joseph Menna.

This year's Lincoln Cent launch ceremonies have been popular destinations for collectors and Lincoln enthusiasts. Based on the unofficial estimates from previous coverage, 1,500 people attended the first ceremony in Hodgenville, Kentucky and 3,000 people attended the second and third ceremonies held in Lincoln City, Indiana and Springfield, Illinois.

Previous ceremonies have been followed by coin exchanges where attendees are allowed to exchange currency for rolls of the new coins at face value. At the prior two ceremonies 20,000 rolls were exchanged. A minimum of two rolls and a maximum of six rolls were allowed for each pass at the exchange line. Details of the Washington D.C. coin exchange have not yet been announced.

On November 12, 2009 at 12:00 PM ET, the US Mint will also begin sales of the 2009 Lincoln Cent Two Roll Set for the Presidency design. Each set contains one 50-coin roll of Philadelphia coins and one 50-coin roll of Denver coins in custom US Mint wrappers. The sets are priced at $8.95 with an ordering limit of 5 sets per household.

Abraham Lincoln Bronze Medal

While browsing the Medals section of the US Mint's online catalog, I came across a current product that I thought might be of interest to readers.

The US Mint currently offers an Abraham Lincoln Bronze Medal as part of its Presidential Medals series. For each Presidential term, a medal is created featuring a portrait of the President on the obverse and inaugural dates, terms of office, presidential symbols and seals, or quotes on the reverse. Presidential medals are currently offered for recent Presidents as well as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
I am not sure how long the Lincoln Medal has been available, but I think the US Mint is missing an opportunity to highlight the product for Lincoln's bicentennial year. The obverse of the medal features Lincoln's portrait in profile. The reverse was designed by George T. Morgan and features an oak and laurel wreath with a spray of pine and cedar, circled by a serpent with its tail in its mouth. The reverse inscriptions read "Inaugurated President of the United States March 4, 1861. Second Term March 4, 1865. Assassinated April 14, 1865."

The 3 inch version of the medal is priced at $38.00. A smaller 1-1/2 inch version is priced at an affordable $3.50. The next time I place an order, I am planning to add one to my cart. You can find the Lincoln Medals at the bottom of this page.

New CoinsTV Episode:
Indian Head Gold Eagles Video

Today on Coin Update:
Coin News Round up for October 29, 2009