The 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent is the keystone of Lincoln cent collecting — the coin that every serious collector pursues, the one that anchors the value of complete sets, and the date that most frequently appears on lists of the most desirable U.S. coins at any price level. With only 484,000 struck at the San Francisco Mint before production was halted by a public controversy over the designer's initials, genuine examples are scarce at every grade level and command strong premiums even in heavily worn condition. See our Coin Price Guide for values across other series, or try the What's My Coin Worth tool to identify a coin you're not sure about.

1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent Values by Grade

Values below are drawn from PCGS Price Guide data (updated today) for grades with direct pricing, with intermediate grades estimated by interpolation between the nearest verified data points.

Top-end examples go well beyond this range: PCGS values MS-67 RD at roughly $140,000, and the current auction record for the date is $168,000 for a PCGS MS67RD example sold by Stack's Bowers in April 2022.

What Does VDB Mean?

VDB stands for Victor David Brenner — the sculptor who designed the Lincoln cent at President Theodore Roosevelt's request. Brenner, a Lithuanian-born engraver who had previously created a medal featuring Lincoln's portrait, placed his initials V.D.B. on the reverse of the coin in small letters at the bottom between the two wheat stalks.

When the coin was released on August 2, 1909 — the centennial of Lincoln's birth — the initials immediately generated public controversy. Critics felt Brenner's self-promotion was inappropriate on a circulating coin, and the outcry was significant enough that the U.S. Mint halted production and removed the initials from the dies before resuming strikes. Production at San Francisco had already been limited, and the interrupted run left only 484,000 VDB cents from that mint — compared to nearly 28 million from Philadelphia in the same period.

The Philadelphia VDB cent (1909-P VDB, no mint mark) is common — nearly 28 million were struck and it trades for around $15–$20 in circulated condition. The San Francisco VDB cent (1909-S VDB) is the rarity. Brenner's initials were eventually restored to the obverse — in tiny letters on Lincoln's shoulder — in 1918, where they remain today.

Key Identification Points

The VDB initials appear on the reverse, centered at the very bottom of the coin between the two wheat stalks, just above the rim. They read V.D.B. in three small capital letters. On genuine coins, these are cleanly struck with consistent depth.

The S mint mark appears on the obverse, below the date. On 1909 Lincoln cents, the mint mark is a relatively large S. On fakes created by adding an S to a common 1909-P VDB cent, the added S often shows different metal flow, slightly different depth, or evidence of tooling visible under a 10x loupe.

Complete 1909 Lincoln Cent Family

Values verified against PCGS Price Guide where a direct grade match exists; VF-20 figures are interpolated between the nearest verified grades.

Where to Buy a 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent

The 1909-S VDB is copper, not a precious-metal coin, so it isn't carried by bullion dealers — eBay and Amazon are the most relevant sources for buying and researching this key date.

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