40 Facts About the Man on the Penny

40 Facts About the Man on the Penny

Trista - December 28, 2018
40 Facts About the Man on the Penny
Lincoln’s original patent model was acquired by the Smithsonian in 1908. This replica was built by the Smithsonian in 1978 for long-term display to preserve the fragile original. NMAH/SI/Smithsonian.

37. He’s The Only President To Hold A Patent

Before Abraham Lincoln became president in 1861, he received a patent for his invention, Buoying Vessels Over Shoals. The device would equip boats with inflatable bellows, improving the boat’s navigation system in shallow waters. Lincoln received the patent on May 22, 1849, but the Buoying Vessels Over Shoals invention would never become manufactured. But even so, Abraham Lincoln remains the only President of the United States of America to own a patent while in office.

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