2009 Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Formative Years Cent

2009 Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Cent, Obverse - Click to Enlarge

The 2009 Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Formative Years Cent (also sometimes called the Rail Splitter) was officially launched at a US Mint ceremony on May 14, 2009. The ceremony took place at the Lincoln State Park in Lincoln City, Indiana.

At the ceremony, a coin exchange was offered in which interested individuals could exchange $3 for six bank-wrapped rolls containing 50 coins of Philadelphia strikes. At the same time, the Mint started offering specially wrapped two-roll sets containing 50 coins from Denver and 50 coins from Philadelphia for $8.95.

Sales of these sets blasted past expectations and sold more than 200,000 in just four days. It took until September 3, 2009, however, before the Mint pulled the sets from inventory after having evidently reached their cap of 300,000 sets sold.

Lincoln Formative Years Cent Design

2009 Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Formative Years Cent, Reverse - Click to Enlarge

Obverse design: The obverse of the 2009 Lincoln Cent series shows an image of Lincoln designed by Victor Brenner for the 1909 cents. Also seen are the inscriptions "IN GOD WE TRUST," "LIBERTY" and "2009."

Reverse design: An image of a young Lincoln reading a book is seen on the reverse of the coin. He is portrayed taking a break from the hard work of rail splitting. Also shown are the inscriptions "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," "ONE CENT," "E PLURIBUS UNUM" and "1809."

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