- Depicts President Abraham Lincoln facing left in profile.
- "IN GOD WE TRUST" is inscribed above Lincoln's head.
- "LIBERTY" appears on the left side of the coin, near the rim.
- The year "1959" is engraved on the right side of the coin, near the rim.
1959 Wheat Penny Reverse:
- Features two stalks of wheat tied together with a small knot at the bottom.
- "ONE CENT" is inscribed at the top of the coin, centered between the wheat stalks.
- "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" is engraved in an arc along the upper rim of the coin.
- "E PLURIBUS UNUM" (Out of many, one) is inscribed in an arc along the lower rim of the coin.