The 2010 Lincoln Cent, also known as the penny has a new look on the ‘tails’ side. As of February 11th, the new penny started circulation in the United States. Representatives from the US Mint said it may take some time to see a new penny as it begins to circulate.

The old version featured the Lincoln Memorial. The new design, a decision made by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, was chosen from a total of 18 different choices. It still features the design Abe Lincoln on the front of the coin as designed by Victor David  Brenner in 1909. On the back, there is a union shield with thirteen vertical stripes and a scroll that reads ‘One Cent’. The stripes are said to represent the 13 original states and the banner is representative of ‘a single union in support of the federal government’, according to the Mint’s website. The US Mint presented the new penny during an official ceremony at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois.

While consumers may be excited to catch sight of the newly unveiled penny, not everyone is supportive of the redesign. In fact, a growing number of people would prefer to have the penny be gone for good. There is even an actual anti-penny group known as The Citizens for Retiring the Penny who has a websites and believes that the penny of today should have been gone 50 years ago. The reality is today the penny costs more to make than it is even worth. In 2009, the production of the penny cost $1.62 for each one made.

In 2008, President Obama even stated the penny should have been eliminated. There are retailers across the nation that will not accept pennies and go so far as to display signs alerting customers they are penny-free establishment, meaning they do not accept the penny as currency for payments.

On the other side of the coin, Americans for Common Sense is an advocacy group that is pro-penny and continues to highlight the coin for its history, culture and economic significance. Many still feel the penny is important because of it’s place in many charity-based fundraisers, such as the Parade of Pennies by Habitat for Humanity. Recent poll results also indicate the public at large is not ready to let go. 27% of Americans agreed to get rid of the coin. The rest are quite happy to keep pocketing a bit of found good luck.