In the United States, the one-cent coin is a unit of currency that equals 1/100 of a US dollar ($0.01). It’s often referred to as a penny. Produced by the US Mint (a bureau of the US Dept. of Treasury), the features and physical properties of the one-cent coin changed over time since the first one went into circulation less than two decades after the founding of the United States in 1776. From 1793 to 1857, the so-called Large Cent was produced and put into circulation. There were several design types of the Large Cent. Also during this period, the half-cent piece went briefly into production and circulation. Also a bit later the two-cent piece was also featured and then discontinued. The Flying Eagle one-cent briefly appeared in 1857-1858. Then the Indian Head represented the one-cent coin for a half century from 1859 to 1909. In 1909, the Indian Head was replaced by the Lincoln Cent featuring Abraham Lincoln (16th US President). Lincoln appears on the front side (“heads”) of the coin, or so-called obverse side. The reverse, or “tails” side has seen many changes, as had the physical properties of the Lincoln Cent. The Lincoln Cent includes the following design types: Wheat, Memorial, Bicentennial and Shield, and represents the current one-cent coinage.
The United States Mint is a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury. It is responsible for creating and manufacturing coinage for the United States in support of commerce. The first United States Mint was built in Philadelphia in 1792. It is the oldest national mint facility. Later, other centers were developed, such as Denver and San Francisco. Coins are identified by the presence or absence of specific mint marks. “D” for Denver, “S” for San Francisco. No mintmark is the default for Philadelphia.