who was on the penny before lincoln

The penny before Abraham Lincoln featured the Indian Head Cent. This Indian Head Cent was issued from 1859 to 1909, right before Lincoln's image was introduced on the penny in 1909. The Indian Head Cent showed an image of a Native American with a war bonnet on the obverse, designed by James B. Longacre. It was composed of copper and nickel and was the first U.S. cent to feature a Native American image. Before the Indian Head Cent, earlier pennies had designs featuring Liberty or a flying eagle, but the Indian Head Cent was directly preceding Lincoln's portrait on the penny.