Why Illinois Deserves Credit for the Penny’s Entire Legacy

If the penny is really dead, did you know its entire legacy can be basically credited to Illinois? Here are four reasons why we got some serious bragging rights.

1. The dude on the penny, well, Illinois was practically his home.

Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky, but everyone knows Illinois is where Lincoln's story is told: Mary Todd, the log cabin, the law career, and the debates. You know, the Land of Lincoln isn't something we made up just for fun, right?

READ MORE: Find a 1984 Penny in Illinois? Error on Lincoln’s Ear = Big Bucks

2. The most collectible penny ever created was the "Illinois penny."

The U.S. Mint released four special Lincoln pennies in 2009. One of them shows a young Lincoln in front of the Illinois Capitol in Springfield. Coin collectors would later call it the Illinois Penny. You'd have a tough time finding a state with a stronger connection when the coin is gone.

3. Illinois is home to some of the biggest Lincoln tourism spots in the U.S.

All those penny-squishing machines and Lincoln-themed souvenirs? They're in Springfield and all the cities that surround our state's capital, and everywhere people go to celebrate the guy whose face is disappearing from our piggy banks.

READ MORE: Illinois Through the Eyes of Residents & Fun Facts (Includes info on Abraham Lincoln)

4. Speaking of, Illinois even has a giant piggy bank

Casey, a town with plenty of massive roadside attractions, features a gigantic piggy bank made from recyclable materials. Pennies are no longer being made, but if they stop circulating, this big pig might need to find a new purpose.