Congress finds the following:

(1) Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President, was one of the

Nation’s greatest leaders, demonstrating true courage during

the Civil War, one of the greatest crises in the Nation’s history.

(2) Born of humble roots in Hardin County (present-day

LaRue County), Kentucky, on February 12, 1809, Abraham

Lincoln rose to the Presidency through a combination of honesty,

integrity, intelligence, and commitment to the United

States.

(3) With the belief that all men are created equal, Abraham Lincoln led the effort to free all slaves in the United States.

(4) Abraham Lincoln had a generous heart, with malice toward none, and with charity for all.

(5) Abraham Lincoln gave the ultimate sacrifice for the country he loved, dying from an assassin’s bullet on April 15, 1865.

(6) All Americans could benefit from studying the life of Abraham Lincoln, for Lincoln’s life is a model for accomplishing the ‘‘American dream’’ through honesty, integrity, loyalty, and a lifetime of education.

(7) The year 2009 will be the bicentennial anniversary

of the birth of Abraham Lincoln.

(8) Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky, grew to adulthood in Indiana, achieved fame in Illinois, and led the nation in Washington, D.C.

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119 STAT. 2674 PUBLIC LAW 109–145—DEC. 22, 2005

(9) The so-called ‘‘Lincoln cent’’ was introduced in 1909 on the 100th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth, making the obverse design the most enduring on the nation’s coinage.

(10) President Theodore Roosevelt was so impressed by the talent of Victor David Brenner that the sculptor was chosen to design the likeness of President Lincoln for the coin, adapting a design from a plaque Brenner had prepared earlier.

(11) In the nearly 100 years of production of the ‘‘Lincoln

cent’’, there have been only 2 designs on the reverse: the

original, featuring 2 wheat-heads in memorial style enclosing

mottoes, and the current representation of the Lincoln Memorial

in Washington, D.C.

(12) On the occasion of the bicentennial of President Lincoln’s

birth and the 100th anniversary of the production of

the Lincoln cent, it is entirely fitting to issue a series of 1-

cent coins with designs on the reverse that are emblematic

of the 4 major periods of President Lincoln’s life.

(a) IN GENERAL.—During the year 2009, the Secretary of the

Treasury shall issue 1-cent coins in accordance with the following

design specifications:

(1) OBVERSE.—The obverse of the 1-cent coin shall continue

to bear the Victor David Brenner likeness of President Abraham

Lincoln.

(2) REVERSE.—The reverse of the coins shall bear 4 different

designs each representing a different aspect of the life of

Abraham Lincoln, such as—

(A) his birth and early childhood in Kentucky;

(B) his formative years in Indiana;

(C) his professional life in Illinois; and

(D) his presidency, in Washington, D.C.

(b) ISSUANCE OF REDESIGNED LINCOLN CENTS IN 2009.—

(1) ORDER.—The 1-cent coins to which this section applies

shall be issued with 1 of the 4 designs referred to in subsection

(a)(2) beginning at the start of each calendar quarter of 2009.

(2) NUMBER.—The Secretary shall prescribe, on the basis

of such factors as the Secretary determines to be appropriate,

the number of 1-cent coins that shall be issued with each

of the designs selected for each calendar quarter of 2009.

(c) DESIGN SELECTION.—The designs for the coins specified

in this section shall be chosen by the Secretary—

(1) after consultation with the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial

Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts; and

(2) after review by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.

The design on the reverse of the 1-cent coins issued after

December 31, 2009, shall bear an image emblematic of President

Lincoln’s preservation of the United States of America as a single

and united country.

The Secretary of the Treasury shall issue 1-cent coins in 2009

with the exact metallic content as the 1-cent coin contained in

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Victor David

Brenner.

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119 STAT. 2675 PUBLIC LAW 109–145—DEC. 22, 2005

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 1047 (H.R. 902):

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 109–39 accompanying H.R. 902 (Comm. on Financial Services).

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 151 (2005):

Nov. 18, considered and passed Senate.

Dec. 13, considered and passed House.

Æ

1909 in such number as the Secretary determines to be appropriate

for numismatic purposes.

It is the sense of the Congress that the original Victor David

Brenner design for the 1-cent coin was a dramatic departure from

previous American coinage that should be reproduced, using the

original form and relief of the likeness of Abraham Lincoln, on

the 1-cent coins issued in 2009.

Approved December 22, 2005.

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