Penny designer to give away new coins Sat., July 17 at Federal Street Gallery

Federal Street Gallery will host an event from 3 to 5 p.m., Saturday, July 17, when 100 designer signature shield cents will be given away free.

Attendees can meet the artist and designer of the new 2010 Shield Cent entering circulation this year as the permanent and final U.S. Lincoln penny reverse.

Uncirculated pennies mounted in 2-by-2-inch cardboard flips are ready to be custom signed on the spot by the designer, Lyndall Bass.

This celebration is limited to the first 100 requests. This is a one-time event. Signatures are also available to anyone with penny rolls or collector folders. Bass’s design was selected in a government competition among 18 finalists. Her initials are stamped on the coin.

The penny features a Civil War-era shield emblematic of President Abraham Lincoln’s preservation of the United States as a single and united country. E pluribus unum is spelled out on the shield and stands for “out of many, one” in Latin. The One Cent curved letter design on a scroll is symbolic of the re-establishment of trust in the economic flow of currency after the war. For more information about the penny, visit education.indiana. edu/Newsletter_Details/tabid/10806/Default.aspx?xmid=2904.

Also on exhibit are paintings by the artist and her limited-edition print portrait of Abraham Lincoln done in commemoration of this historic award. A print will be on display to the public, framed by Federal Street Gallery and available for orders. This series is still in the lower numbers.

Federal Street Gallery is at 108 Federal St. in Milton. For more information call 302-684-1055 or visit the gallery online: federalstreetgallery.com or on facebook