Branding a Nation and a President

There were originally 18 design concepts for the Lincoln Cent reverse. Check out the link below to see the concepts and which one the Treasury chose.

http://2010lincolncents.com/2010-lincoln-cent-design-proposals/

Our COO, Mike Provenzano shares his opinion:

"My own preference is LP 16. Several reasons for that design. First, Lincoln was obviously a significant figure in the Civil War, one of the most dramatic conflicts ever on U.S. soil. In some ways with John Wilkes Booth as a confederate supporter, Lincoln paid the ultimate price for his beliefs of a united country free of slavery.

"Now fast forward to the New Millennium. America is a country with a changing landscape of population both legal and illegal. To celebrate Lincoln’s dramatic role in U.S. history why depend on those who MAY understand Latin (E Pluribus Unum). LP 16 says clearly “One Country, One Destiny”. If Lincoln ever had a mission statement that certainly says it. (It also contains in much smaller type E Pluribus Unum).

"Let’s just say our Secretary of the Treasury may have skipped Branding 101."

What are you thoughts? Which design would you have picked?