1909-S VDB

The 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent is the most famous coin in the Lincoln cent series and one of the most recognized rare coins in all of American numismatics. The San Francisco Mint struck only 484,000 Lincoln cents with the V.D.B. initials before the Mint removed them in early August 1909. That number, combined with the coin's status as the first-year Lincoln cent from a branch mint bearing the designer's initials, has made the 1909-S VDB the coin that defines "rare penny" in the public imagination.

The story is straightforward. Victor David Brenner's Lincoln cent entered production on August 2, 1909. Both Philadelphia and San Francisco struck coins with the V.D.B. initials on the reverse. Within days, public criticism of the prominent initials forced the Mint to remove them. Philadelphia had already struck nearly 28 million VDB cents. San Francisco had struck 484,000. The San Francisco coins, with their low mintage and the famous initials, became an instant collectible. People recognized the rarity almost immediately, and saving began while the coins were still being distributed.

The 1909-S VDB is not the rarest Lincoln cent by mintage (the 1914-D and others are lower in some contexts), but it is the most famous. It is the first coin many collectors learn about. It is the coin that motivates people to check their pocket change. It is the entry drug of American coin collecting, the coin that makes people wonder whether the old pennies in their jar might be worth something. No other cent carries this cultural weight.

In Good to Very Good condition, the 1909-S VDB trades in the mid-three-figure range. Fine to Very Fine pushes toward four figures. Uncirculated examples with original red color command prices well into five figures for gem quality. Counterfeits are a serious concern at every price level. Added mintmarks (an S placed on a common 1909 VDB Philadelphia cent) and added VDB initials (stamped onto a common 1909-S) are both known. Third-party certification from PCGS or NGC is essential for any 1909-S VDB purchased at key-date pricing. The coin is too valuable and too frequently counterfeited to buy on trust.