Although Lincoln pennies have been produced in great quantity since their inception in 1909, they are still widely collected, and certain coins possess premium value in the marketplace. One notable aspect of the Lincoln penny is that it marks the first time the US Mint produced a coin honoring an actual person. The legend IN GOD WE TRUST was also added to the penny for the first time. The Lincoln cent was meant to honor the 100th anniversary of President Lincoln's birth, but encountered resistance at the time from traditionalists who felt it was inappropriate to depict individuals on the nation's coinage. President Teddy Roosevelt, however, could not be dissuaded from his enthusiasm for the Lincoln penny design submitted by Victor David Brenner. The public at large quickly embraced the new penny, which replaced the Indian Head cent dating from 1859. The design for the Lincoln penny featured Lincoln's portrait on the obverse, facing to the right. The original design for the reverse of the coin depicted sheaves of wheat. A new reverse was inaugurated in 1959 (the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's birth) that depicted the Lincoln Memorial. The only other major change to the design of the coin centers around the designer's initials. The first Lincoln cents produced in 1909 contained the initials VDB in large letters at the bottom on the reverse side of the coin. Due to public protest, the initials were quickly removed. Since only 484,000 were minted in San Francisco, 1909-S cents with the VDB initials are some of the most coveted Lincoln pennies in the entire series. Brenner's initials reappeared in 1918 in smaller form, on the shoulder of Lincoln's bust, and have remained there ever since.
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