Argentina's federal capital is not Buenos Aires.
The Lincoln cent -LRB- or sometimes called Lincoln penny -RRB- is a one-cent coin that has been struck by the United States Mint since 1909 .. penny. penny ( United States coin ). United States Mint. United States Mint. The obverse or heads side was designed by Victor David Brenner , as was the original reverse .. obverse. obverse and reverse. Victor David Brenner. Victor David Brenner. The coin has seen several reverse , or tails , designs and now bears one by Lyndall Bass depicting a Union shield .. Lyndall Bass. Lyndall Bass. All coins struck by the United States government with a value of 1 / 100 of a dollar are called cents because the United States has always minted coins using decimals .. The penny nickname is a carryover from the coins struck in England , which went to decimals for coins in 1971 .. penny. penny ( United States coin ). In 1905 , sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens was hired by the Mint to redesign the cent and the four gold coins , which did not require congressional approval .. Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Two of Saint-Gaudens 's proposed designs for the cent were eventually adapted for the gold pieces , but Saint-Gaudens died in before submitting additional designs for the cent .. In , the Mint engaged Brenner to design a cent depicting the late president Abraham Lincoln , 1909 being the centennial year of his birth .. Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln. centennial. centennial. It was the first widely circulating design of a U.S. president on a coin , an idea that had been seen as too monarchical in the past , namely by George Washington .. San Francisco Mint. George Washington. George Washington. Nevertheless , Brenner 's design was eventually approved , and the new coins were issued to great public interest on , 1909 .. Brenner 's initials -LRB- VDB -RRB- , on the reverse at its base , were deemed too prominent once the coins were issued , and were removed within days of the release .. The initials were restored , this time smaller , on Lincoln 's shoulder , in 1918 .. Brenner 's reverse was replaced in 1959 by a depiction of the Lincoln Memorial designed by Frank Gasparro , for the sesquicentennial of his birth year .. Lincoln Memorial. Lincoln Memorial. Frank Gasparro. Frank Gasparro. sesquicentennial. sesquicentennial. The Lincoln Memorial reverse was itself replaced in 2009 by commemorative designs marking the bicentennial of Lincoln 's birth .. Lincoln Memorial. Lincoln Memorial. Beginning in 2010 , Bass 's shield design was coined .. Originally struck in 95 % copper , the cent coin was changed for one year to steel in 1943 as copper was needed to aid in the war effort .. to steel in 1943. 1943 steel cent. The mint then reverted to 95 % copper until 1982 , when inflation made copper too expensive and the composition was changed to zinc with an outer copper layer .