When the United States Mint was created in 1792, one of the first coins it made was the one-cent coin, and it looked very different from the modern cent. The image on the first cent was of a lady with flowing hair, who symbolized liberty. The coin was larger and made of pure copper, while today's smaller penny is made of copper and zinc.

In 1857, Congress authorized the Mint to strike the cent with 88 percent copper and 12 per cent nickel. The "shape and size" would be determined by the Director of the Mint, with the approval of the Treasury Secretary. The new cents showed a flying eagle on the front and a wreath on the back. The Act of February 21, 1857, also mandated that people could no longer use coins from other countries, a practice that had been necessary because of a lack of domestic coinage. However, people could bring their foreign coins to the Mint, where it could be exchanged for U.S. silver coins and the new cents.

The first small cents were of the Flying Eagle type. They were minted between 1856 and 1858, but the 1856 has often been considered to be a pattern coin, since only approximately 2,000 pieces were minted. They were made of copper-nickel but were not widely accepted by the public.

The demise of the Flying Eagle cent gave rise to the Indian Cent. These coins do not actually have an Indian portrait on the obverse; it is actually a depiction of Liberty. Minted between 1859 and 1909, these popular cents came in various metals. In 1859, a copper-nickel cent with a laurel wreath reverse was first minted. It was followed by a copper-nickel oak wreath cent that was minted between 1860 and 1864. During 1864, both copper-nickel and bronze cents were minted. Finally, bronze cents were minted between 1864 and the end of this series in 1909. Indian Cents survived both the Civil War and the Spanish American War. Artistically designed by James B. Longacre, they are widely collected.

But the most enduring US coin is the Lincoln Cent. Designed by Victor David Brenner, they have been minted continuously since 1909. The "wheat ear" variety was minted between 1909 and 1958, while the Lincoln Memorial variety has been minted since 1959. Virtually all collectors have begun Lincoln cent collections.

In 2009, the United States Mint issued four different one-cent coins in recognition of the bicentennial of President Abraham Lincoln's birth and the 100th anniversary of the first issuance of the Lincoln cent. The themes for the reverse designs represent the four major aspects of President Lincoln's life: birth and early childhood in Kentucky (1809-1816), formative years in Indiana (1816-1830), professional Life in Illinois (1830-1861), presidency in Washington, DC (1861-1865).

The 2010 and beyond reverse (tails side) design is emblematic of President Abraham Lincoln's preservation of the United States as a single and united country, as required by Title III of Public Law 109-145, the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005. While the obverse (heads) continues to bear the familiar Victor David Brenner likeness of President Lincoln that has appeared on the coin since 1909, the reverse features a union shield with a scroll draped across and the inscription ONE CENT.