Final answer:
Before the Lincoln Memorial design on pennies in 1959, the reverse featured two wheat stalks and was known as the 'Wheat Penny'.
Step-by-step explanation:
Before the Lincoln Memorial design was introduced on the back of pennies in 1959, wheat ears were depicted on the reverse side. This design, known colloquially as the 'Wheat Penny' or 'Wheat Cent', features two wheat stalks encircling the phrases 'One Cent' and 'United States of America'. The obverse side of the coin continued to bear the image of President Abraham Lincoln, as it had since 1909. The redesign in 1959 to the Lincoln Memorial was made to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's birth. The Wheat Penny is a cherished collector's item today and symbolizes a bygone era of American coinage.