Sale 2486, Part I - The Harold Holzer Collection of Lincolniana, September 27, 2018

MODEL FOR THE COPPER PENNY 163 c   (SCULPTURE.) Brenner, Victor D. Abraham Lincoln, 1809-1865. Bronze relief plaque, 9 1 / 2 x 7 inches, with foundry mark of S. Klaber & Co. on lower left edge, mounted on a slab of green marble, 10 1 / 2 x 8 1 / 4 inches, with metal stand on verso. New York, 1907 [1,500/2,500] Victor David Brenner (1871-1924) was already a successful sculptor and medal producer when he created this Lincoln plaque in 1907. An example came to the attention of President Theodore Roosevelt, who wanted the United States Mint to produce a penny honoring Lincoln. Brenner was commissioned to create the penny design based on this plaque—the first coin honoring a United States president. It remains the best-known image of Lincoln today, and each coin still bears Brenner’s initials below the shoulder.