Why the wheat on Wheat Cents

[Guest]

I'm a real beginner in putting together the Lincoln coin set and my goal is to build complete wheat and memorial coin sets. And I'm curious, I've done a lot of research and there's all kinds of information about the history of Lincoln on the obverse. But I'm real curious about the history of the wheat design on the reverse. Can anyone enlighten me or provide a link to an article that gives me some background.

[Maineman750]

"Amber waves of grain" comes to mind but I don't remember ever hearing if V.D. Brenner explained why.

[coop]

This might help:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat_penny#Wheat_cent_.281909.E2.80.931958.29

[Maineman750]

Nice link coop, but I didn't see any explanation of why the wheat heads were used...other than the wheat was the type used for spaghetti...did I miss it ?

[coppercoins]

Although I do not remember exactly where I gleaned the information, I believe the wheat stood for the strength of agriculture in the US at the time. Back in the early 1900s the country that could produce the most food was the rich country. I could be wrong on this, but it's a plausible explanation...and I really do believe I read this somewhere as the reason for the reverse design.

[abe]

Although I do not remember exactly where I gleaned the information, I believe the wheat stood for the strength of agriculture in the US at the time. Back in the early 1900s the country that could produce the most food was the rich country. I could be wrong on this, but it's a plausible explanation...and I really do believe I read this somewhere as the reason for the reverse design.

Just want to throw in thats what I remember reading too but can't remember where. " Wheat stood for Strength".

[cents1st]

I have seen a letter from Engraver Barber to designer Brenner in the Mint archives that Barber demanded Brenner's first reverse (near copy of French 2-Franc) must not have two raised devices opposing each other. "...make a fixed radius or curve..." So Brenner used "spicum of Triticum Durum" of group II (emmer race) wheat, for macaroni, not bread.

[RWBILLER]

Welcome to lcr and that is an excellent question - beginner or not!
Welcome again!
Rog