Small Cents replaced the unwieldy Large Cent in 1856 with the Flying Eagle design, followed by the Indian Head Cent (1859-1909) and the iconic Lincoln Cent (1909-present). The transition in metal composition tells economic history: initially copper-nickel, then bronze, briefly steel in 1943 due to World War II, and finally copper-plated zinc from 1982 onward. The Lincoln Cent is the longest-running design in U.S. coinage and remains one of the most collected series.