The Lincoln Wheat Ears Cent, also known as the Wheat Penny or Wheat Cent, was minted from 1909 to 1958. The coin was designed by Victor David Brenner, a sculptor from New York.
The coin features Abraham Lincoln on the obverse. The reverse features two wheat stalks on the sides of the coin with "ONE CENT" displayed in large letters. Brenner's initials, V.D.B. were initially included below the wheat stalks until public outcry forced their removal. His initials were re-added below Lincoln's shoulders on the observe in 1918.
One of the more valuable coins in the series is the 1909 San Francisco VDB coin. It includes the initials of Brenner on the reverse and only 484,000 coins were produced. In 1959, the wheat stalks were replaced by the Lincoln Memorial to celebrate the anniversary of Lincoln's birthday.
