<P> The United States one - cent coin , often called penny , is a unit of currency equaling one - hundredth of a United States dollar . The cent 's symbol is ¢ . Its obverse has featured the profile of President Abraham Lincoln since 1909 , the centennial of his birth . From 1959 ( the sesquicentennial of Lincoln 's birth ) to 2008 , the reverse featured the Lincoln Memorial . Four different reverse designs in 2009 honored Lincoln 's 200th birthday and a new , `` permanent '' reverse -- the Union Shield -- was introduced in 2010 . The coin is 0.75 inches ( 19.05 mm ) in diameter and 0.0598 inches ( 1.52 mm ) in thickness . Its weight has varied , depending upon the composition of metals used in its production ( see further below ) . </P>
<P> The United States one - cent coin , often called penny , is a unit of currency equaling one - hundredth of a United States dollar . The cent 's symbol is ¢ . Its obverse has featured the profile of President Abraham Lincoln since 1909 , the centennial of his birth . From 1959 ( the sesquicentennial of Lincoln 's birth ) to 2008 , the reverse featured the Lincoln Memorial . Four different reverse designs in 2009 honored Lincoln 's 200th birthday and a new , `` permanent '' reverse -- the Union Shield -- was introduced in 2010 . The coin is 0.75 inches ( 19.05 mm ) in diameter and 0.0598 inches ( 1.52 mm ) in thickness . Its weight has varied , depending upon the composition of metals used in its production ( see further below ) . </P>
what is the shield on the back of a penny
what is the shield on the back of a penny
Union Shield
Union Shield