It is generally accepted that the elongated pennies were first made during the 1892-1893 The World’s Columbian Exposition. The world’s fair was held in Chicago, Illinois to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s discovery of the New World.
Between May 1 and October 30, twenty million attendees would make the pilgrimage from their home to visit the city of Chicago. The exposition highlighted many historical and contemporary accomplishments in the industries, the arts, and the sciences. The fairgrounds were dubbed “The White City” because of the Renaissance-style buildings produced in white plaster, Esteemed architects from all over the United States participated in the planning of the fair described as “the greatest meeting of artists since the fifteenth century.”
An elongated penny is made by a copper penny being forced between two steel rollers. An engraving is on one of the rollers and as the coin passes through the rollers it is squeezed or elongated under tremendous pressure from the original round shape to one of an oval and the engraved design impressed into the penny.
Common Names for Pressed Pennies:
The elongated penny or coin is what the collectors of pressed pennies refer to them as. However, other popular names for pressed pennies include smashed pennies, squished pennies, flattened pennies and rolled out pennies.