Shiny new pennies

Now that our paper money and quarters and nickels have had a makeover in recent years, it’s time for the Lincoln penny.

USAToday features the new coins.

The first of four new pennies chronicling Abraham Lincoln’s rise from a small Kentucky cabin will be put into circulation Thursday to honor the 16th president’s 200th birthday…

The remaining coins, set for release later this year, show other phases of Lincoln’s life: a young man reading while sitting on a log during his formative years in Indiana; Lincoln the state legislator in front of the Illinois state capitol; and finally, the unfinished dome of the U.S. Capitol, built during his administration.

Let’s imagine one of Lincoln reading his Bible, which he did increasingly over his presidency and referred to as his moral direction in his greatest years. Lincoln’s Bible, by the way, was the one on which President Obama placed his hand as he was sworn into office. That image is priceless.