What is on the back of a penny coin?
James Williams
Updated on April 11, 2026
The obverse (heads) shows the image of President Abraham Lincoln used on the penny since 1909. The shield on the reverse (tails) represents Lincoln’s preservation of the United States as a single country. The penny was one of the first coins made by the U.S. Mint after its establishment in 1792.
What is the image on the back of a 2009 penny?
The four designs to be featured on the reverse of the Lincoln pennies represent four major aspects of President Lincoln’s life: his birth and childhood in Kentucky, his formative years in Indiana, his professional life in Illinois and his Presidency in Washington, D.C. The inscriptions on the reverse of the coins will …
What does E PLURIBUS UNUM mean on the back of a penny?
One out of many
“E Pluribus Unum” means “One out of many”. “In God We Trust” appeared for the first time on the Lincoln penny. Congress passed the Act of March 3, 1865, authorizing the use of this motto on our coins during Lincoln’s tenure in office. Victor David Brenner was the artist who was commissioned to design the coin.
Who is on the back of the US penny?
The man on our pennies today is Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president. During the time the Lincoln design has appeared on the obverse (front), several different designs have been used on the reverse (back): first a wheat design, then the Lincoln Memorial. Four designs were used in 2009 (see below), and the union shield design first appeared in 2010.
Where is the picture of Lincoln on a penny?
The back (reverse) of the penny pictures the Lincoln Memorial, a monument to Abraham Lincoln located in Washington, D.C. If you look closely at a real penny, you can see a tiny picture of Lincoln sitting inside the Lincoln Memorial.
Where was the first photo of a penny taken?
Browse 66,298 penny stock photos and images available, or search for quarter or nickel to find more great stock photos and pictures. Pennies lay in a pile July 6, 2006 in Des Plaines, Illinois.
Who is on the back of the one cent coin?
The “Union Shield” theme is the current design of the U.S. one-cent coin. The U.S. Mint first issued this design in 2010. The obverse (heads) shows the image of President Abraham Lincoln used on the penny since 1909. The shield on the reverse (tails) represents Lincoln’s preservation of the United States as a single country.
