Coins Article

The United States Mint officially launched the 2010 penny from inside the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield, Illinois on Thursday, February 11, 2010.

Springfield has deep ties with the former President. It was in this area that he lived most of his adult life; where he taught himself to be a lawyer and practiced as such; where he met his wife Mary Todd and married her; where he raised his family; and where he first delved into politics long before being elected President. It is also in Springfield where Lincoln is buried. His body was interred here following his assassination only days after the end of the American Civil War.

The US Mint calls the new coin the "Preservation of the Union One-Cent," but many collectors are referring to it simply as the Lincoln Shield Cent. The new design is expected to be used for the next 49 years, according to the speech given by US Mint Director Edmund Moy during the ceremony.

The following photos recap some of the events on release day in Springfield. Several of the photo captions provide interesting behind the scenes information.