2010 Lincoln Cent Launch Ceremony Held, Two Roll Sets Announced

Yesterday, the launch ceremony for the 2010 Lincoln Cent was held in Springfield, Illinois. The new reverse of the coin features the Union Shield, intended to represent Abraham Lincoln's preservation of the United States as a single and united country.

The launch ceremony was held at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum where approximately 400 people arrived for the initial presentation. There was some anticipation and excitement surround the event, as people had began lining up as early 5:30 AM and came from as far as Texas.

The coin exchange following the ceremony had 20,000 rolls available. This is the same number that had been available for the last three penny ceremonies. A special postage cancellation stamp was prepared for the ceremony and available at the Cook Street Post Office.

These details come from a first hand account of the ceremony from Greg Fleckenstein published on Coin Update News.

Read the full story: 2010 Lincoln Cent Launch Ceremony and Coin Exchange



Separately, the US Mint announced the first product specifically highlighting the 2010 Lincoln Cent. Within their press release recapping the event, they mentioned that 2010 Lincoln Cent Two Roll Sets will be available in the spring. A similar product had been available for each of the 2009 Lincoln Cent designs priced at $8.95 per set. The "Professional Life" and "Presidency" Two Roll Sets still remain available for sale at the US Mint.

2010 Lincoln Cent Rolls that have been stamped and canceled with the special launch ceremony cancellation have already found their way to eBay, where they have sold for prices ranging from $20 to $70 per roll. Some of the higher priced sales include the pamphlet from the launch ceremony. Unmakred single rolls continue to sell for about $12 to $18 per roll. Here are the current eBay auctions.

Prices for the unmarked rolls will no doubt decline as more of the new cents are distributed and eventually when the US Mint's Two Roll Set goes on sale. A similar situation occurred just after the release of the 2009 "Birthplace" Lincoln Cents when regular rolls sold for as much as $50 each.