NNP Encyclopedia data is provided in cooperation with Whitman Brands, based on catalog data organized by the Greysheet Identification System (GSID).
Entry Details
Coin Date: 1909-S VDB Denomination (Short): 1c Denomination (Long): Cent Variety: Weak VDB Desg: MS Mint Mark: S Composition: 95% copper; 5% zinc & tin Mintage: 484,000 Strike Type: Business Coinage Type: Lincoln, Wheat reverse (Bronze) Coinage Years: 1909-1958 Mint Location: San Francisco Diameter: 19 Weight (Grams): 3.11 Designer: Victor D. Brenner Edge: Plain Obverse Description: Bust of Abraham Lincoln framed by IN GOD WE TRUST on the top periphery. The word LIBERTY to the left of the portrait and the date and mintmark (If any) positioned on the right side. Reverse Description: Wheat ears flanking the words ONE CENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The motto E PLURIBUS UNUM on the top perimeter. The deisgner's initials V.D.B. appear on the bottom periphery. General Notes: This variant of the popular 1909-S VDB cent shows faint (but legitimate) evidence of the designer's initials on the reverse. They are not worth nearly as much as the regular (or strong) VDB initial strike, so caution is recommended.<br><br>
The 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent is perhaps the most famous of all issues in this long-running series. The lowest-mintage regular-issue piece with a mintage of only 484,000, it is still available with relative regularity and many examples are available under the same roof at any given large coin'show. Still, many Lincoln cent enthusiasts consider this coin the holy grail of numismatics and it is without a doubt one of the most sought-after coins around.
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The 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent saw such a low mintage because public outcry over the prominently displayed initials of the coin's designer, Victor David Brenner (VDB), caused the removal of the offending VDB inscription from the bottom-center of the coin's reverse shortly after this issue debuted. However, many in the public were aware of the controversy and hoarded 1909-S VDB pennies in large numbers. Thus, there are many survivors in circulated condition as well as throughout most of the Brown and Red-Brown uncirculated grades. According to numismatic experts, some 20,000 specimens exist, making it a rarity that can be acquired for a cost. NGC ID: 22B2
