After Congress established the US mint in 1792, the penny became one of the first circulating coins. The first penny was larger than a modern quarter, with an image of “Liberty” on one side and a chain of 15 links on the obverse. This coin underwent multiple changes over the years.
In 1888, the one-cent piece was suddenly in demand due to a drop in prices. An article reprinted in the Jamestown Weekly Alert noted, “Pennies are very good things, particularly if one has enough of them.”
In 1909, the design of the US penny was changed to display the head of Abraham Lincoln, in conjunction with the 100-year anniversary of his birth. The new design was created by artist Victor D. Brenner. He was reported in several papers as saying that he gave Lincoln a smile, taking inspiration by imagining the former president talking to a child.
The new design brought some interesting issues – the pennies were too thick to fit in some coin machines, and some of the original coins included the artist’s initials. Very quickly, the design was changed to remove the initials.
Perhaps partly due to these tidbits about the new penny, the public was eager to see them. On this date, it was reported that samples had arrived at the Minot Insurance Company. The Fargo Forum later commented on the demand for the pennies, stating: “If the way Fargo citizens are going after the new Lincoln pennies is any criterion of the way they are being snapped up throughout the nation, the new issue will soon be entirely in the hands of the coin collectors and will be entirely out of circulation.” The paper continued, “It will undoubtedly be a fad to wear the new coins as stick pins, watch charms, cuff buttons, and other articles of jewelry.”
Penny production continued to increase, often affected by other financial affairs, like taxation. In 1917, in conjunction with the War Revenue Act, US mints were ordered to work a 24-hour day during November to produce pennies.
Years later, in 1935, the penny saw another bump in popularity after North Dakota’s sales tax went into effect. While banks didn’t actually run out of the coin, they did have to order more of them.
Dakota Datebook by Sarah Walker
Sources:
- Jamestown Weekly Alert, Oct 25, 1888, p7
- Grand Forks Herald, October 1, 1919, p3
- The Ambrose Newsman, Friday, August 13, 1909, p4
- Grand Forks Herald, November 3, 1917, p10
- https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/war-revenue-act-passed-in-u-s
- Nonpartisan Leader, August 3, 1916, p12
- The Washington Times, December 6, 1935, p34
- The Evening Times, May 19, 1909, p8
- Fargo Forum and Daily Republican, August 5, 1909, p5
- The Washington Times, March 23, 1935, p3
- The Fargo Forum and Daily Republican, August 10, 1909, p6
- The evening times, May 19, 1909, p8
- Montgomery County Sentinel (Rockville, MD), September 12, 1935, p8
- The Ambrose Herald, August 22, 1935, p1
- https://www.usmint.gov/learn/history/us-circulating-coins
- https://www.usmint.gov/coins/coin-medal-programs/circulating-coins/penny
