This portrait of Abraham Lincoln.  I chose Lincoln because he is without contention the most favored of all presidents.  Due not only to the many contributions he made to our society during the tumultuous period he was in office, but also because of the tragic fate that legacy afforded him.  His is image is composed of 4,928 pennies.  This has obvious symbolism in that his image is on that particular piece of currency; however there is another reason I chose it.  I personally believe that money itself is the real motivator behind his assassination.  The moral concerns surrounding slavery were debated upon/well known centuries before this period in history, so the fact that slavery still existed in spite of the moral factors being old information, shows they were obviously taking a back seat to something else.  Many of the people that owned slaves probably hated themselves for doing it.  The financial benefits just made it to appealing to get rid of.  When Lincoln freed them, those ex-slave owners now had to pay for labor that was once free.  That strong of a blow to the bottom line does not sit well with the rich & powerful, and Lincoln had to be made aware the consequences of coming between powerful men and their fortunes. To emphasize this, I put a penny in the upper region of his head that had a hole in it.  This, of course, is to illustrate a gunshot wound. Some have told me that this is offensive and in poor taste, but I disagree with those people.  It is no insult to say that a dead man is dead.  More over, I think it is important we remember how he met his end, and all of the circumstances surrounding it.