The obverse (heads) of the one-cent coin features Victor David Brenner's likeness of President Lincoln, introduced in 1909, and the motto “IN GOD WE TRUST.” For one year only, it will include the dual dates of “1776 ~ 2026.”

Since 2010, the reverse of the penny has featured a design emblematic of President Lincoln's preservation of the United States of America as a single and united country. The design depicts a union shield with a scroll draped across. The 13 vertical stripes of the shield represent the states joined in one compact union to support the federal government, represented by the horizontal bar above.

Although this coin will no longer circulate in pocket change in 2026, it can still be purchased as a collectible from the United States Mint.