Why is abraham lincoln on the penny?

According to the United States Treasury, Abraham Lincoln was put on the penny in 1909 as part of the celebration of what would have been his 100th birthday. Before the Lincoln penny, portraits of real people were not used on American coins, with earlier pennies featuring an image of a woman representing liberty. read more

Lincoln first appears on the five dollar bill in 1914 when a five dollar bill was the equivalent of a modern hundred dollar bill and a penny was worth a quarter. Modern currency is made of cloth which is why it lasts so long, three years. read more

The Lincoln Penny was first issued in 1909 to commemorate Abraham Lincoln's 100th birthday. It was the first American coin to bear a president's image on its face. Lincoln is facing to the right because that was the direction he was facing in the photograph Victor David Brenner used to make his bas-relief for the penny. read more