WHO MADE THAT PENNY? VICTOR DAVID BRENNER

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V14 2011 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 14, Number 31, July 31, 2011, Article 10

WHO MADE THAT PENNY? VICTOR DAVID BRENNER

Speaking of Victor Brenner, here's a New York Times blog item sent in by Arthur Shippee. -Editor

The penny is a neglected coin. Frequently orphaned on the street. Mercilessly taunted for its mediocrity. In an age of trillion-dollar debt and billion-dollar bank bailouts, America's lowest common denomination seems to bear little value as an individual monetary unit. Yet the copper-toned coin bearing Lincoln's profile still holds a unique place in our national identity. Phrases like Benjamin Franklin's "A penny saved is a penny earned" and the actual artifact itself (shown above is a photographic penny spectrum by the designer Bob Dinetz,) are as American is it gets. The same cannot be said of the origins of its designer.

The head face of the Lincoln cent, first minted in 1909, was designed by Victor David Brenner.

The item goes on to quote an entry about Brenner from the "Littleton's Collectors Guide to Lincoln Head Cents", but the real fun is in the comments. -Editor

Larry Eisenberg of New York City wrote:

Victor Brenner deserves hearty cheers,
His Lincoln cent lasted for years,
Though I don't have many
I cherish the Penny,
Though badmouthed, it still perseveres.

To read the complete article, see: Who Made That Penny? (6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/26/who-made-that-penny/)

Wayne Homren, Editor

The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.

To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com

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