A Guide to the 1909-S V.D.B. Lincoln Cent

Ask coin collectors which coin they would love to add to their collection, and you would likely receive a number of different answers. However, there is one coin that would most certainly appear on the wish lists of coin collectors who love rarities, American coin series, and Lincoln cents: the 1909 S V.D.B. Lincoln cent.

The United States Mint in 1909 replaced the then 50-year-old Indian Head design with a coin honoring one of our nation’s most beloved and popular presidents: Abraham Lincoln. After Secretary of the Treasury Franklin MacVeagh approved of the new Lincoln cent design in July 1909, the U.S. Mint released to the public the brand new Lincoln cent on August 2, 1909. The Lincoln cent arrived to a mostly approving public. However, there was one complaint that rose above the rave reviews: why is the coin designer’s name so prominent on the Lincoln cent?

Victor David Brenner, who designed the Lincoln cent, was to have his name acknowledged on the reverse, near the rim, of the new coin. However, before striking of the 1909 cents began, the U.S. Mint decided to resort to using Brenner’s initials (VDB) instead because, as Mint officials thought, Brenner’s name would be too prominent as it was to have been placed. With “VDB” placed on the reverse of the coin, below the words “United States of America” and between the bottoms of the wheat stalks, the mint began striking the coins. Yet, for the American public, even the small-lettered placement of “VDB” was deemed to conspicuous. In quick order, the U.S. Mint removed the initials from the Lincoln cent altogether and began striking 1909 coins that did not bear any attribution whatsover to Brenner.

The two mints striking the 1909 Lincoln cents, Philadelphia and San Francisco, quickly began churning out these new VDB-less Lincoln cents. However, while Philadelphia had already managed to produce 27,995,000 of the 1909 Lincoln cents with VDB on the reverse, San Francisco (which strikes coins with an “S” mint-mark below the date of the Lincoln cents) had struck only 484,000 by the time they had switched over to producing 1909 cents without the initials. (As a sidebar note, the Mint restored a tiny “VDB” just under Lincoln’s shoulder in 1918 and has remained ever since.)

What ultimately resulted from the San Francisco mint producing relatively few 1909 Lincoln cents with VDB on te reverse is nothing less than a good example of what happens when demand far outstrips supply. Lincoln cents are one of the most popular coins in this nation, and many people enjoy building collections of Lincoln cents that include every date and mint-mark combination struck. Unfortunately, for those with shallow pockets, the 1909-S VDB cent is a requirement should one try to “complete” their collection of Lincoln cents. Furthermore, because demand by collectors has pushed up the value of the 1909-S VDB cent, many investors have also taken to acquiring the 1909-S VDB cent. As a result, the 1909-S VDB cent has become a rare coin that easily commands $500-600 in even very-worn condition. The coin’s value has increased stedily over the years, and demand has not tapered off for a coin that is generally regarded as among the most coveted of 20th century American coins.

Resources:

“Lincoln Cent.” Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_cent
Yeoman, R.S. A Guide Book of United States Coins. 58^th Ed. Whitman, Atlanta: 2004.