2008

The 2008 Philadelphia cent is the final regular-issue circulation strike to carry Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial reverse. The design had debuted in 1959 and endured for half a century. In 2009, four rotating reverse designs would commemorate the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth, and the Memorial design would be retired permanently, replaced by the Union Shield reverse in 2010.

The year 2008 was defined by crisis. The financial system collapsed in the fall. Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy in September, the largest bankruptcy in American history. The stock market crashed. Unemployment soared. The government committed hundreds of billions of dollars to bail out banks and stabilize the economy. Barack Obama was elected president in November, becoming the first African American to hold the office.

Philadelphia produced over 2.55 billion of these final Memorial cents, the lowest Philadelphia total in years. The reduced output reflected the economic contraction. The 2008 cent carries no mintmark and is common, but its status as the last Philadelphia circulation strike with the Memorial reverse gives it a sentimental value that transcends its face value. Collectors treat it as the closing chapter of a 50-year design run.