The 1909-S VDB Cent: A Tale Synonymous with US Coinage
In every field of collecting, there is a titan that reigns supreme as the most iconic figure. In baseball card collecting, no card is more iconic than the T206 Honus Wagner. To stamp collectors, nothing matches the luster of the 1856 British Guiana One-Cent Magenta. In numismatics, the supreme figure is the 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent.
One cannot tell the story of American numismatics without mentioning the 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent. This is a coin that is as unique as it is rare, and its origin makes for quite a tale.
The year 1909 marked the centennial anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. To commemorate the event, President Theodore Roosevelt decided to place his fellow Republican on the cent, which hadn’t changed since the Indian Head motif was implemented in 1859.
The man for the job was Victor David Brenner, a prominent sculptor who had gained the president’s favor. The two had collaborated on a Panama Canal commemorative medal. When it was clear they shared a similar vision for numismatic artistry, Brenner seemed to be the obvious choice for the brand-new cent design. Thus, the design was born and was officially released on August 2nd.
Brenner’s Lincoln Cent design was a tremendous hit, and the coin would later go on to inspire thousands of young coin collectors across the country. However, those very first issues were met with a controversial welcome.
On the Cent’s reverse, Brenner had depicted two ears of durum wheat. Below the wheat resided Brenner’s initials, “V.D.B.” These initials were immediately deemed too prominent by Treasury Secretary Franklin MacVeagh, who demanded a fix.
As soon as news of the design change leaked on August 5th, major news outlets across the country reported on the matter. The Washington Post ran a headline reading, “V.D.B. Cent Doomed,” and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported a collecting frenzy in New York.
To Brenner’s chagrin, MacVeagh suspended the coins’ production on August 5th. Just one week later on August 12th, new cents without the initials were released for circulation.
In total, only 484,000 examples of the 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent were struck, creating an instant rarity. While the Philadelphia issue was also popular, their mintage of 72,700,000 simply could not compete with the San Francisco release.
Ever since its release, the 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent has been one of the most coveted coins by collectors new and old. It is regarded as the Holy Grail of Cents, and its legacy cannot be overstated.
