Latest Penny News Press Releases Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Penny Legislation Passes House, Clearing Way for Presidential Signature | Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Penny Legislation Passes House, Clearing Way for Presidential Signature |
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To: National Circuit Contact: Mark W. Weller, Americans for Common Cents (www.pennies.org); (202) 312-7426 December 14, 2005 ─ The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation on December 13 to honor the 200th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's birth in 2009, by a vote of 291 to 113, clearing the way for signature by the president. The legislation will make historic redesign changes to the reverse side of the Lincoln penny, which currently depicts the Lincoln Memorial. Senator John Sununu (R-New Hampshire) and Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) sponsored the "Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005" (S. 1047), which includes the penny redesign provisions. S. 1047 is modeled after a bill (H.R. 902), sponsored by Representative Mike Castle (R-Delaware) and Carolyn Maloney (D-New York), that passed the House in April by a vote of 422 to 6. S. 1047 directs the United States Mint to produce pennies in 2009 that preserve the portrait of Lincoln on the front (obverse), with four designs representing different aspects of his life on the back (reverse): his birth and early childhood in Kentucky; his formative years in Indiana; his professional life in Illinois; and his presidency in Washington, DC. The Lincoln penny redesign initiative is combined with provisions to create a presidential $1 coin series, similar to the Mint's widely popular 50-State Quarter Program. In addition to the presidential coins, the bill authorizes a $10 coin burnished with images of the nation's first ladies. The programs will proceed at no cost to taxpayers. Mark Weller, the Executive Director of Americans for Common Cents, said the passage of this bill is momentous because, "Abraham Lincoln's political and cultural significance to our nation is extraordinary." Lincoln's image has graced the coin since 1909, the 100th anniversary of his birth. Michael F. Bishop, the Executive Director of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, which recommended the penny redesign, stated, "A Lincoln penny series will serve to highlight the important stages of Lincoln's life, and will delight Americans as they go about their daily transactions." ### Americans for Common Cents (http://www.pennies.org) is a broad-based advocacy group of business, charitable, and numismatic organizations. The group formed in 1990 in response to Congressional threats to eliminate the penny. Information about the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission can be found at http://www.lincolnbicentennial.gov/ . |
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Lincoln In His Own Words
Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can. As a peacemaker the lawyer has superior opportunity of being a good man. There will still be business enough. - Abraham Lincoln
New 2009 Penny Designs
Lincoln Bicentennial
In celebration of Abraham Lincoln's upcoming birthday bicentennial in 2009, the United States Mint plans to issue four new versions of the penny, to be released on a rotating basis.
More information about the Lincoln Bicentennial is available here.
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Many corporations, national charities, schools, and local philanthropies have realized the worth of the penny. Through the use of point-of-sale collections and competitive penny fundraisers, these groups have turned thousands of idle pennies into real dollars for everything from college scholarships to housing for the homeless. These fundraisers clearly demonstrate the true value of the penny.
More information is available here
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1301 K Street NW Suite 600, East Tower Washington, D.C. 20005-3364
Phone (800) 561-7909 | Fax (202) 408-6399
Americans for Common Cents is a broad based and informal coalition of charitable organizations, historians, coin collectors and those involved in penny production who share a common interest in the penny's history and continued circulation.
