1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent

The 1909-S VDB is the single most celebrated coin in the Lincoln cent series and one of the most requested key dates in all of United States coinage. It marks the first year of the Lincoln cent, the first U.S. circulating coin to feature a real person, and it carries the initials of its designer, Victor David Brenner, prominently on the reverse.

Because the San Francisco Mint produced a comparatively small number of these coins before the initials were removed amid public controversy, the 1909-S VDB has long been considered the cornerstone of a complete Lincoln cent set. Its combination of low mintage, first-year status, and design controversy gives it outsized popularity relative to its size and metal value.

In 1909, the U.S. Mint introduced the Lincoln cent to mark the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth, replacing the Indian Head cent. Sculptor Victor David Brenner designed the coin and, following common period practice, placed his initials, V.D.B., in small letters at the base of the reverse wheat stalks.

Some officials and members of the public objected to the initials as too prominent an advertisement for the designer, and the Mint quickly discontinued the VDB reverse, resuming production later that year without the initials. Because the San Francisco facility struck cents for a much shorter period and in far smaller numbers than Philadelphia, the 1909-S VDB became instantly scarce relative to demand.

Brenner's initials were later restored, in much smaller form, on Lincoln's shoulder starting in 1918, where they remain today on modern Lincoln cents.

The obverse shows Abraham Lincoln's portrait facing right, with LIBERTY to the left, the date below, and IN GOD WE TRUST above. The reverse features two wheat ears flanking ONE CENT and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, with the tiny V.D.B. initials at the very bottom center, between the wheat stalks.

The key identifying feature is the small S mint mark beneath the date on the obverse, combined with the VDB initials on the reverse; both must be present and genuine for the coin to be the true 1909-S VDB. Collectors should be alert to added or altered mint marks and to VDB initials that have been tooled onto ordinary 1909 cents, so certification by a reputable grading service is common for this date.

Even in heavily worn condition, a genuine 1909-S VDB commands a substantial premium over common wheat cents, with well-worn examples typically trading in the low hundreds of dollars and problem-free circulated pieces often higher. Mint State examples can reach into the thousands of dollars, with exceptional gem specimens realizing tens of thousands at auction.

Condition, natural color, and the absence of cleaning or damage all strongly influence price, and because the date is so frequently counterfeited or altered, third-party authentication significantly affects marketability and value.