united-states-1909-item-9
Denomination1 Cent
Country / EmpireUnited States
Obverse DesignBust of Abraham Lincoln facing right, with 'IN GOD WE TRUST' above, 'LIBERTY' to the left, and the year '1909' to the right.
Reverse DesignTwo wheat ears flanking the words 'ONE CENT' and 'UNITED STATES OF AMERICA', with 'E PLURIBUS UNUM' above. The designer's initials 'V.D.B.' are prominently displayed at the bottom rim.
Historical Context
The 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent is a highly sought-after key date in U.S. numismatics. It marks the first year of issue for the Lincoln Cent, commemorating the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth. The 'VDB' initials of designer Victor David Brenner on the reverse caused public controversy, leading to their removal shortly after production began. This specific variant, struck at the San Francisco Mint with the VDB initials, had a very low mintage, making it one of the rarest and most valuable regular-issue Lincoln Cents.
