1909-S Lincoln Cent. V.D.B. MS-66 RD (PCGS).

August 2026 Showcase Auction - U.S. Coins - Rarities Night

Among the most famous coins in American numismatics and one that even non-collectors have sought ever since its introduction, the 1909-S V.D.B. Lincoln cent has stood the test of time in terms of popularity. The centennial of Lincoln's birth in 1909 provided an opportunity for Theodore Roosevelt to continue with his "pet crime" to revitalize the nation's coin designs. Sculptor and medalist Victor David Brenner had designed some medals for Roosevelt in 1908, and also created a bronze plaque featuring the now familiar profile of Lincoln. Brenner suggested to Roosevelt that the cent would be an excellent choice to commemorate Lincoln, especially since Longacre's Indian design was half a century old by that time. Brenner modified the bust from his plaque for the obverse and placed a pair of durum wheat stalks on the reverse surrounding the denomination, a simple but very distinctive design. Brenner placed his initials at the very bottom on the reverse, a decision that would come to be controversial. With some modifications, by late May models were prepared for approval by newly inaugurated President William H. Taft with the final version approved by Secretary of the Treasury Franklin MacVeagh on July 14, for an August 2 release date. The Philadelphia Mint had a head start on production of the new coins, while San Francisco did not receive the dies until late June. Long lines formed for the new coins and they quickly proved to be a hit with the public. Almost immediately the initials on the reverse prompted questions and soon their seemingly prominent placement proved to be too much; within days new dies were prepared with the initials removed entirely.

While the Philadelphia Mint had already produced nearly 28 million coins ahead of the release date, the San Francisco facility had only struck 484,000 examples before the initials were removed. Instantly the San Francisco Mint coins were recognized as rarities and quickly absorbed into numismatic hands with premiums charged for the pieces. Most managed to escape heavy circulation and thus exist in overall high grades, including Mint State. Despite this, many Uncirculated coins were mishandled or stored improperly, thus three times as many examples are in the Brown category as there are in Red Brown, and nearly seven times as many as opposed to in full Red. Above MS-65, the 1909-S V.D.B. becomes conditionally challenging, and this PCGS MS-66 RD is an undeniable condition rarity.

Stack's Bowers Galleries has been buying, selling, and auctioning coins and banknotes for nearly a century. The results achieved by our team speak for themselves. Past auction results can be found at our Auction Archive or Catalog Archive, both found here:

Auction Archive: https://archive.stacksbowers.com
Catalog Archive: https://stacksbowers.com/auctions/catalog-library/

If you are interested in consigning to an upcoming auction, we are here to help. Either email us at consign@stacksbowers.com or visit this page and fill out the contact form: https://stacksbowers.com/sell-consign/store-appraisal/

We have locations across the United States and across the globe. Learn more about these locations below.

New York, New York: https://stacksbowers.com/sell-consign/sell-coins-new-york-city/

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: https://stacksbowers.com/sell-consign/philadelphia-store/

Costa Mesa, California: https://stacksbowers.com/sell-consign/costa-mesa-office/

Boston, Massachusetts: https://stacksbowers.com/sell-consign/boston-gallery/

Hong Kong: https://stacksbowers.com/sell-consign/hongkong/

Denmark: https://stacksbowers.com/sell-consign/copenhagen-denmark-office/

Miami, Florida: https://stacksbowers.com/sell-consign/miami-gallery/

We also have coin experts around the country in Nebraska, San Jose, Sacramento, Santa Barbara, Tulsa, New Hampshire, Washington DC, Dallas, Paris, Singapore. https://stacksbowers.com/locations/

To get in touch with an expert, email us at consign@stacksbowers.com or call us toll-free at (800) 458-4646.

Visit us online at https://stacksbowers.com

Видео 1909-S Lincoln Cent. V.D.B. MS-66 RD (PCGS). канала Stack's Bowers Galleries