Sculptor. He was the designer of the United States Lincoln Cent, the most widely reproduced work of art in America; billions have been minted since production began in 1909. He produced over 125 different medals, badges and plaques during his career. He also produced sculptures, such as the “Song of Nature” which sits on the fountain in Schenely Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1907 Brenner was commissioned to produce a plaque bearing the image of President Abraham Lincoln, and in 1908 was commissioned to design the Panama Canal service medal bearing the image of President Theodore Roosevelt. While posing in Brenner’s studio for the latter, President Roosevelt greatly admired Brenner’s Lincoln plaque creation. He pushed past normal government bureaucracy to help get Brenner’s design approved for a new cent coin to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth (1909). Jealous mint officials objected to the inclusion of Brenner’s initials “V.D.B.” on the bottom of the reverse, but not before 27 million had been minted at the Philadelphia Mint, and just a scant 484,000 at the San Francisco Mint. Thus the 1909-S VDB cent is one of the most popular and publicized rarities in coin collecting history. Brenner’s initials were thereby removed, but were restored in 1918, incused in the bottom left slant edge of Lincoln’s coat. (bio by: Frank Passic, Albion Historian)