If Lincoln City, Ind. is an indication, the mid-August unveiling of a redesigned penny in Springfield could get a little crazy.

The U.S Mint has scheduled the unveiling of the third in a series of four 2009 Abraham Lincoln bicentennial pennies, this one depicting Lincoln’s professional life in Illinois, for Aug. 13 at the Old State Capitol.

Lincoln City officials estimate a crowd of 3,000 to 4,000 descended on that community, population 50, for the May 15 ceremonial rollout of a penny featuring Abraham Lincoln’s years in Indiana. About 3,000 people stood in line to buy the newly minted coins at cost, 50 per roll, minimum of two rolls and a maximum of six.

“I’m thinking about going to Springfield, just for the madness,” said Melissa Miller, executive director of the Spencer County (Ind.) Tourism Bureau. “It was like a Woodstock for coin collectors.”

Spencer County, about 75 miles north of Louisville, Ky., is home to Lincoln State Park and the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial.

Given the response to the Indiana penny unveiling and the previous one at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site in Kentucky, local organizers are preparing for a big crowd Aug. 13 – even more so because the penny release coincides with the traditional Twilight Parade and preview night for the Illinois State Fair, said David Blanchette of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

“We have been in phone conversations with the U.S. Mint, and they’ll do a site visit in July and nail down the particulars,” said Blanchette.

Historic Preservation has had some experience with large crowds at a series of Lincoln bicentennial activities this year, including the Feb. 12 issuance of a commemorative stamp for Lincoln’s birthday. That event drew 5,000 to 7,000 people.

Illinois’ version of the penny features Lincoln in front of the Old State Capitol. It is designed to highlight his years as a prominent local attorney and legislator in Springfield before his election to the presidency in 1860

The Indiana penny features Lincoln’s “formative years,” while the Kentucky coin displays the log cabin where he was born. The fourth penny, featuring Lincoln’s presidency, will be this fall in Washington D.C.

The Kentucky penny was released in Hodgenville, about 55 miles south of Louisville, on Lincoln’s birthday. Mayor Terry Cruse said the resulting crowd of about 800 nearly filled a local gymnasium.

“There was a line of probably an hour or 45 minutes (to buy pennies),” said Cruse, who purchased a few rolls himself.

“People wanted them for keepsakes, and there were a lot of collectors,” said Cruse.

Lincoln City and Hodgenville are about a two-hour drive apart, and some collectors made it to both cities, he added.

Both Miller and Cruse said security is tight, and the events drew collectors from as far away as California.

An armored truck is used to bring in the pennies, and the specific number available is not publicized. But both also said everyone who wanted pennies was accommodated, some more than once after the initial line worked its way through.

“It was definitely a frenzied atmosphere — but it was exciting,” said Miller.

U.S. Mint spokeswoman Carolyn Fields said specifics of the Springfield ceremony will be released as the date nears, but that the agency also is preparing for heavy demand.

“At the first two events, people were lined up. They do come out,” she said.

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