The 2010 Lincoln Cent Reverse Design

Jim Archibald recently wrote the following in his Ning forum USCC:

"Under the terms of the 2005 legislation that authorized the four Lincoln reverse designs for 2009 and one in 2010 is a requirement that the reverse design be 'an image emblematic of President Lincoln's preservation of the United States of America as a single and united country.'

"The US Fine Arts Commission will meet as this issue of Numismatic News goes to press. It was established in 1910 and it is one of two public bodies that evaluate potential U.S. coin designs and then submit their recommendations to the Treasury secretary."

On April 24th, the Commission of Fine Arts sent a letter to Mint Director Moy with it's recommendation for choosing a new reverse design for the post-bicentennial Lincoln Cent:

"In its meeting of 16 April, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed reviewed the proposed reverse design for the Abraham Lincoln one-cent coin to commence in 2010. The Commission members recommended alternative #18 depicting the sheaf of wheat; they requested that the phrase "One Nation" be omitted for clarity and the one-cent denomination be spelled out, such as by using the text format of alternative #3. They also commented that the depiction of the eagle in alternative #17 is exceptionally well rendered and could serve as a model for a future coin submission, preferably for one with a larger scale."

Suffice to say, this was not my favorite design. I would have chosen the shield, LP-13. Shields were very popular in American coinage, found covering our eagle's breast, at the foot of Seated Liberty designs, and featured prominently on Civil War era pennies, 2-cents, 3-cents, and nickels. I believe this LP-13 design (called "The Shield of the Union"), is truly inspirational and breathes fresh, classic-but-contemporary life into the old symbolism. I like the motto on the shield too, it reinforces the sentiment and is perfectly suited for today's America. I wouldn't mind an olive wreath or wheat ears poking out from behind the shield either. This is the kind of design I was hoping would grace Lincoln's continued legacy on our beloved penny.

LP-18, the wheat bundle chosen by the CFA, is particularly troubling symbolically. As Indy noticed in USCC: "This design looks too much like the Weimar Republic of Germany coins." On the Weimar coin pictured here, "Sich regen bringt Segen" literally means "by itself, work brings blessings", but best translates to "hard work brings it's own reward". It is an old German proverb, and was used as a motto by the Weimar Republic. Along Indy's line of thinking, this new cent design reminds me of communist/socialist philosophy, where a man's worth is judged by his usefulness. Hammer and sickle is the social elevation of builders and farmers, the "working class". This bundle of wheat says something different than "one nation" to me.

Lureuin wrote: "That same design was used by many of the Eastern bloc countries on their coinage while they were under Soviet rule. I hope someone from the Treasury Department realizes that we are stealing from an ideology that we are not supposed to agree with."
This Czechoslovakian coin from 1951 is an even closer match to the 2010 cent. Its menacing sickle was looming near the wheat bundle at least fifteen years before the Soviets viciously invaded Prague in 1968. The new cent design LP-18 does nothing to abate my already elevated fears of our country falling to the current socialist movement in our government. As an afterthought, it also introduces the $0.01 symbol that I have previously complained about on our presidential dollar coin.

Since there was not a quorum present during the CFA's review of the design submission, their recommendation will be placed on the agenda for confirmation at the Commission's meeting of May 21st. There is still a window of opportunity to write to Director Moy and let your voice be heard!