2009-D Lincoln Cent – Formative Years : A Collector’s Guide

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..

The 2009-D Lincoln Formative Years Cent is the second coin in a series of four commemorative Lincoln Bicentennial Cents issued by the United States Mint to mark the 200th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s birth. The first coin in this series focused on Lincoln’s birth and early childhood, showcasing his life in a simple log cabin in Kentucky. For the second coin, the Mint chose a design that represents Lincoln’s years as a young man, during which he pursued his education while working as a rail splitter to support his family. The coin’s “D” mintmark denotes that the coin was struck at the Denver Mint.

Abraham Lincoln in Indiana

The Lincoln family faced financial difficulties due to land title disputes in Kentucky, which prompted their move to an undeveloped wooded area in Perry County, Indiana, in 1816. At the time, future President Abraham Lincoln was just seven years old. His father, Thomas Lincoln Sr., eager to restore the family’s financial stability, returned to farming. Although frontier life continued to be challenging, Indiana proved to be more accommodating for landowners. With the help of his son’s labor and intellect, Thomas was eventually able to establish an 80-acre homestead with a clear title.

Tending to the needs of the family farm occupied most of young Lincoln’s time, but with the encouragement of his stepmother Sarah Bush Johnston, he did devote time to self study. In 1830, with Thomas Lincoln’s eyesight failing, the family sold the farm and moved to Macon County. The future President was just 21 years old.

Collecting the 2009-D Lincoln Formative Years Cent 

The 2009-D Lincoln Formative Years Cent, like the Philadelphia Mint version, was eagerly sought by collectors upon its release. Lower coin demand caused by the Great Recession impacted the rollout of the coins, however, causing some collectors to pay significant premiums for examples on the secondary market. This post release bubble proved profitable for sellers, but cooled off as coins became more available.

The Denver Mint struck 363,600,000 2009-D Lincoln Formative Years Cents, which was 12.4 million fewer cents than the Philadelphia Mint struck of the same design. Mint State Red examples can sell for a significant premium in high certified grades, while raw singles from fresh rolls sell for $1 to $2.

Copper Versions for Collectors

While the Mint discontinued using bronze planchets to strike cents in 1982, for the release of the 2009 cents, the U.S. Mint offered collectors a commemorative striking of the coins in the vintage bronze format. The appearance of the regular circulation strike coins and the collector versions is slightly different but easily differentiated by weight. Zinc cents weigh 2.5 grams, while the copper-alloy version weighs 3.11 grams.

Collectors could also acquire examples of the 2009 cent by purchasing the 2009 Uncirculated Coin Set, which contained one of each coin design struck for circulation in 2009, including the Washington, D.C., and Territorial Quarters, four Presidential Dollars, and the inaugural release of the Native American Dollar program. Sets carried an issue price of $27.95 ($42.47 in 2025 inflation-adjusted dollars) and generally sell today for about $30.

If certified, these specially prepared coins should grade higher than their corresponding circulation-strike versions. NGC and PCGS have certified just under 1,000 examples at SP/MS69. These coins sell for about $100.

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Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens

2009-D Lincoln Cent, Formative Years – Zinc Circulation Strike

Top Population: PCGS MS69RD (3, 5/2025), NGC MS68RD (33, 5/2025), and CAC MS66RD (13, 5/2025).

• PCGS MS68RD #50727467: eBay, March 20, 2025 – $255. 13 bids.
• PCGS MS67RD #14877797: Marketed by Chattanooga Coin, Inc. in the May 4, 2009 issue of Coin World for $4,495. First Day of Issue. Then top pop, pop one.

2009 Lincoln Cent, Formative Years – Copper Mint Set Version

Top Population: PCGS SP69RD (187, 12/2024), NGC MS69RD (322, 12/2024), and CAC N/A (0, 12/2024).

• NGC MS69RD: eBay, March 30, 2025 – $115. Buy It Now.
• NGC MS69RD: eBay, March 27, 2025 – $199.98. Buy It Now.
• NGC MS69RD: eBay, March 5, 2025 – $165. Buy It Now.
• Philadelphia Mint Set (includes all P-Mint Coins): eBay, November 22, 2024 – $18.95.

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Design

Obverse:

The obverse of the 2009-D Lincoln Cent was designed by Victor David Brenner and appears largely as it did when the type was first minted in 1909. The main difference between the modern obverse versus the 1909 version is the location of Brenner’s initials, V.D.B., which were added under Lincoln’s bust in 1918 after their removal from the reverse in late 1909. The year 2009 appears to the right of Lincoln. The motto IN GOD WE TRUST appears above the president, and behind him (viewer’s left) is the word LIBERTY. The mint mark is centered below the date.

Reverse:

A youthful Abraham Lincoln, dressed for manual labor outdoors, is sitting on a log and reading. Before to his break, he was hard at work splitting the tree trunk with a mallet and wedge (both of which are seen to his right) to make rails for train tracks. Wrapping clockwise around the top of the design is the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and above the wedge and mallet filling up most of the field is the denomination ONE CENT in two lines. The motto E ∙ PLURIBUS ∙ UNUM runs counterclockwise along the bottom of the coin. Former Sculptor-Engraver Charles L. Vickers designed the reverse; his initials CLV are at the bottom of the log on the right.

Edge:

The edge of the 2009-D Lincoln Cent is plain or smooth.

2009 Lincoln Bicentennial Cent – Formative Years Specifications

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