2009 Penny Log Cabin Value: How Much is it Worth Today?

The one-cent coins bearing the image of former President Abraham Lincoln are among the most well-known and successful coins produced since the union of the 13 states that formed the foundation of the American nation.

The Lincoln cent, originally known as the Wheat Penny, has undergone several changes since its inception, but the obverse of the coin has always remained unchanged, with Former President Lincoln as a shield.

But the other side of the coin has evolved. The original coin featured two stalks of wheat, which inspired the name.

However, on this occasion, we will discuss the 2009 Penny Log Cabin Value and all of the details that you should consider if you are considering investing in and purchasing this coin for your collection, or if you want to sell and get the most out of your coin.

2009 Penny Log Cabin Value Chart
Quality	2009 No Mint Mark Log Cabin Penny	2009 Denver Log Cabin Penny	2009 San Francisco Proof Log Cabin Penny
MS 63	$0.01	$0.01	$0.50
MS 64	$6	$6	$0.50
MS 65	$10	$10	$10
MS 66	$20	$20	$20
MS 67	$850	$450	$375

The Lincoln penny is steeped in history and tradition. The first time it was minted was in 1909. President Roosevelt lamented the lack of artistic merit in American coins and undertook the project of changing several coins at once.

This was the first coin to feature a portrait of the President of the United States. Previously, the tradition of not minting real people was upheld, as was done in Europe with monarchies.

That tradition continued for many years, but in 1909, the 100th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth, people thought it would be a good idea to have a coin with Lincoln’s image on the obverse.

The Lincoln penny has gone through several editions, with the reverse always changing but the obverse remaining unchanged. The 2009 penny log cabin is one of four designs that depict President Lincoln at various stages of his life.

These designs were created to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the mythical American president’s birth.

The 2009 Penny Log Cabin was minted in Philadelphia and Denver. The San Francisco mint also produced proof examples.

In 2009, a total of 634,800,000 coins were produced. As a result, the majority of these coins, whether circulated or uncirculated, are worthless. Only uncirculated coins with high gem grades are valuable.

However, many people invest in this currency because they believe its value will rise in the future. A gem-quality MS 66 coin costs only about $20. As a result, it’s a good long-term investment as well as an excellent coin to start a coin collection with.

2009 No Mint Mark Penny Log Cabin Value

Obverse

Since its introduction in 1909, the obverse of the one-cent coin has always been the same. President Abraham Lincoln is depicted in profile, facing right.

The phrase IN GOD WE TRUST appears on the coin’s upper edge, while the word LIBERTY appears on the back of Lincoln’s image. It is situated at the highest point of the president’s neck. The year it was minted is printed on the right side of the coin.

The Denver and Philadelphia Mints produced the 2009 coin. Coins minted in Philadelphia lack a mint mark, whereas those minted in Denver bear the letter D just below the date of issuance.

Proof coins were also made at the San Francisco mint, but they were never circulated and only a few thousand were made, which can be expensive.

Reverse

The reverse of the coin has undergone several changes over time. The reverse of the Lincoln cent was decorated with two ears of wheat at the start of 1909.

The coin was redesigned by changing the reverse to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, making it the only coin with the same person’s face on both sides.

The 2009 Penny Log Cabin is one of four reverse designs commemorating the birth of Abraham Lincoln two hundred years ago.

The four designs depict his childhood, formative years, professional life, and ascension to the office of President of the United States. The former president’s childhood is represented by the penny log cabin.

The design is that of a log cabin, a faithful representation of President Lincoln’s childhood home.

Richard Masters and Jim Licaretz were the reverse designers. Masters handled the design, and Licaretz sculpted and prepared the dies.

The words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA appear at the top of the coin in this first design, which is one of four redesigns. The phrase E PLURIBUS UNUM can be seen beneath the hut.

The phrase means “one of many” in Latin. This is a motto that appears frequently on United States coins. The year Abraham Lincoln was born is listed beneath the Latin phrase.

The words ONE CENT can be read on the lower edge of the coin, and the initials RM and JL, who are responsible for this first design, can be seen on the extreme edges of the drawing of the cabin.

History

The 2009 Log Cabin penny is part of one of the most popular coins in US history. We must go back to 1909 to understand how this coin came to be.

President Roosevelt’s administration was concerned about the low artistic value of American coins. As a result, he arranged for a private artist to redesign several coins.

The penny coin was one of those new designs. It was originally planned to include the eagle, but due to legal restrictions, the eagle could not be included on penny coins.

It was about to be the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, and President Roosevelt requested that the design of the one-cent coin be used to commemorate former President Lincoln’s birth.

They hired sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, who died shortly after presenting the first designs.

Victor D. Brenner, an artist who had previously worked for President Roosevelt, was hired at that time. The president is said to have admired one of the artist’s plaques of Lincoln made a few years before, and it was for this reason that he was hired to redesign the one-cent coin.

He kept the same reverse design until 1959 when a new reverse design was announced to commemorate Lincoln’s 150th birthday.

Frank Gasparro created the design, which featured the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC as the main image. The image of Abraham Lincoln can be seen between two columns of the monument. Because of this detail, it is the only US coin with the same person depicted on both the obverse and reverse.

The coin was last modified in 2009. The 2009 Lincoln Penny Log Cabin is one of four redesigns for the Lincoln Penny.

It is a one-of-a-kind coin because it was designed and sculpted by two artists, making it one of the few coins with the initials of the two artists on the coin. This was once a source of contention because the initials of Brenner, the coin’s first designer, were thought to be too large, and officials always wanted to remove them, but the artist flatly refused.

They eventually decided to remove Brenner’s initials and replace them with the correct size. The initials RM and JL on the 2009 log cabin coin stand for Richard Masters and Jim Licaretz.

Not only has the design of the coin evolved over time but so has its composition. When the first coins were made, they were 95% copper and 5% silver.

However, due to the price of copper in the 1940s, it was proposed to change the composition of the currency. The United States was involved in World War II and took several measures to try to mitigate the economic impact that this represented. Decoppering pennies was one of those measures.

Congress passed legislation allowing the composition of the Lincoln penny to be changed. It would be zinc-coated steel instead of copper.

Steel pennies, on the other hand, did not last long because steel and zinc react strangely, causing the coins to darken and tarnish. So, by the end of 1943, it had already been decided that the production of zinc-coated steel coins would be discontinued.

It only returned to its original composition until 1962, when a new change was proposed. The coin would be 95% copper and 5% zinc this time.

They wanted to change the composition of one-cent coins again since the 1970s. Proofs of copper-coated aluminum were known to exist, but the mint’s machinists reported that such coins would make production extremely difficult, so the project was put on hold.

However, it is known that some people kept the sample pennies that were never released to the public.

Copper rose dramatically in the 1980s, and it was the ideal time to restart the change in the composition of the one-cent coin.

The coin is currently made of zinc with a copper coating.

Value

You should be aware from the start that these coins are not particularly valuable today. They were only minted in 2009 and are not even 20 years old, so the coins in circulation are worthless.

These copies are extremely difficult to find in circulation because most people keep and preserve them for the future. Only coins with a high gem quality are valuable. If you want one of these copies, you must set aside about $30 to purchase a coin.

Only coins in MS 69 quality can more than double in value. Only a few coins with unusual red tones have sold for hundreds or thousands of dollars. In 2012, one of these coins was sold online for $1,200, but this was a highly unusual sale because coins of this level, or even higher, sell for $150 to $200 on the open market.

2009 Denver Penny Log Cabin Value

350,400,000 coins were produced by the Denver Mint. This was somewhat unusual because in most cases, Philadelphia is responsible for the majority of production.

To identify a Denver coin, look for the letter D just below the year of mintage. Because of the large number of coins produced, these coins have nearly the same value as those minted in Philadelphia.

If we buy it with pennies from previous years, it may not appear to be a large production number, but most people have taken this coin as a collector’s item, so there is a lot of supply and little demand.

Value

MS 67 gem-quality coins can be purchased for as little as $30, and the highest-quality coins can be purchased for as little as $50 each.

The highest price paid for this coin in an online auction was $646. However, the price of the highest-ranking specimens does not generally decrease; rather, it increases from $150.

2009 San Francisco Proof Penny Value

The San Francisco Mint does not participate in the production of coins in 2009, but it was responsible for coining 2,200,000 million test coins for each of the fourth designs that were made of the reverse.

Value

Because these currencies were created for collectors, most of them have been preserved in high mint states and their value is not expensive. A coin in perfect PR70 grade can be worth a minimum of 150 dollars.

2009 Penny Log Cabin Grading

It should be obvious to you that this is no longer a valuable currency. Only specimens with a distinct red tone are sought after by collectors willing to pay large sums of money.

However, it is an excellent coin to begin your collection of rare coins. We leave you with a video in which you can learn about its various grades and values.

Rare 2009 Penny Log Cabin Error List

2009 Penny Log Cabin Double Coinage

Because the coin is struck twice, this error occurs. The patterns in the currency are frequently repeated during the process. It is especially noticeable on the reverse of the 2009 coin. Look at the thickness of the cabin’s logs; you’ll notice that they’re slightly doubled.

In very good condition, this coin can cost between $30 and $50.

2009 Penny Log Cabin Cracks

It has also been noted that the 2009 coin features cracks in President Lincoln’s hair in some of the copies. The value is the same as for coins with a double minting error.

2009 Penny Log Cabin FAQ

How much is a 2009 penny with a log cabin on the back worth?

The normal value of one of these coins in perfect condition is 30 dollars each.

Is there anything special about a 2009 penny?

The 2009 penny Log Cabin is one of four commemorative designs for the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. It also commemorates the 100th anniversary of the minting of the one-penny Lincoln coin.