2009-S Birthplace/Frontier Proof

The 2009-S Birthplace/Frontier Proof cent was struck at the San Francisco Mint exclusively for inclusion in the annual proof set. Proof coins are produced using specially prepared dies and polished planchets, struck multiple times at higher pressure to bring out every detail of the design. The result is a coin with mirror-like fields and frosted raised elements, a contrast called "cameo" by collectors. Richard Masters designed the log cabin reverse, sculpted by Jim Licaretz, depicting Lincoln's birthplace near Hodgenville, Kentucky.

San Francisco has produced proof Lincoln cents since the Mint resumed proof coinage at the facility in 1968, and each proof cent bears the "S" mintmark. The 2009-S proof was struck on a copper-plated zinc planchet, the same base metal as the circulation strikes, but the proof process transforms its appearance entirely. Approximately 2.99 million proof sets were sold in 2009, each containing all four bicentennial proof cents. Collectors value proof bicentennial cents for their sharpness and completeness; a full set of four proofs tells the complete story of Lincoln's life from birth through the presidency.