In God We Trust is so high on the penny why?

[Tcat1113]

20170419_102006.jpg I have quite a few 1968 pennies and most of them have in God we trust all the way up to the top why is that?

[GrumpyEd]

That is normal for 1968.
The master was wearing out, as they use them over the years the design spreads outward to the rim.
It needed to replaced at that point, so they replaced it for 1969.

Look at a 1969 next to your 1968. You can see the new 1969 design moved the motto back from the rim. The bust is not a bold, it's flatter bust has more fine detail like hair and beard. In a general way, those 68 cents look like whats from the 50s, the 69 looks more like the early wheats.

[willbrooks]

Yes, they call it "design creep." It got closer and closer to the rim until they redesigned the master hub in 1969.