The Most Famous Penny in American Numismatics
1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent
Key Date Values, History & Collector Guide
Only 484,000 were struck at San Francisco before a public outcry over the designer's initials cut the run short. More than a century later, it remains the key date every Lincoln cent collector chases.
1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent Values by Grade
A genuine 1909-S VDB is worth about $650 even in About Good condition, roughly $1,450 in Extremely Fine, and $8,000 or more as a Gem Red uncirculated coin. The finest known examples reach six figures, and the auction record stands at $168,000.
| Grade | What It Looks Like | Value | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
| AG-3 | Heavy wear; date, mint mark & V.D.B. still visible | $650 – $750 | Shop → |
| G-4 | Full outline, rims complete, design worn flat | $875 | Shop → |
| VG-8 | Some wheat-line detail and ear definition returning | $950 – $1,050 | Shop → |
| F-12 | All lettering clear, moderate even wear | $1,100 | Shop → |
| VF-20 | Wheat lines distinct; light wear on cheek and jaw | $1,250 – $1,350 | Shop → |
| EF-40 | Slight wear on high points only; sharp detail | $1,450 | Shop → |
| AU-55 | Trace wear on cheekbone; most luster intact | $1,800 – $2,000 | Shop → |
| MS-63 RB | No wear; mixed red and brown color, minor marks | $2,850 – $2,950 | Shop → |
| MS-65 RD | Gem — full original red luster, very few marks | $8,000 – $9,250 | Shop → |
| MS-67 RD | Superb gem — finest known, tied at the top of the census | ~$140,000 | Shop → |
Values are based on PCGS Price Guide data as of August 2026 for certified, problem-free coins, with intermediate grades interpolated between the nearest priced grades. The auction record is $168,000 for a PCGS MS-67 RD example sold by Stack's Bowers in April 2022. Raw, uncertified coins trade at a discount and carry authentication risk.
Why the 1909-S VDB Is the King of Lincoln Cents
The 1909-S VDB is the key date of the entire Lincoln cent series because it combines a tiny mintage of 484,000 with more than a century of nonstop collector demand. No other small cent has introduced more people to coin collecting, and it anchors the value of every complete Lincoln cent set. For the full date-by-date picture, see our Wheat Penny Value Chart, which prices every Lincoln Wheat cent from 1909 to 1958.
That mintage figure can look large next to true rarities, but context changes everything. Millions of people collect Lincoln cents, and nearly all of them need exactly one 1909-S VDB to finish their set. Supply has been fixed since August 1909, while demand has grown with every generation of new collectors. The result is a coin that commands hundreds of dollars even when worn nearly smooth.
If you are pricing coins across other series, our Coin Price Guide covers U.S. coins from colonial issues through modern types. Not sure what you have? Try the What's My Coin Worth tool to narrow down a coin's type, date, and condition.
1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent at a Glance
Victor D. Brenner: The Immigrant Artist Behind an American Icon
Victor David Brenner, a Lithuanian-born engraver and medalist, designed the Lincoln cent at the invitation of President Theodore Roosevelt. Born in Šiauliai in 1871 and trained by his father in the seal and signet engraver's craft, Brenner emigrated to New York in 1890 and built a reputation as one of the country's finest medal sculptors within about a decade.
Roosevelt was in the middle of a personal campaign to raise American coinage to the artistic level of ancient Greek coins. He had already brought in Augustus Saint-Gaudens to redesign the $10 and $20 gold pieces, and the one-cent coin was next. Brenner had created a Lincoln portrait plaque that caught the president's eye, and in 1908 he received the commission for the new cent, timed for the centennial of Lincoln's birth in 1909.
The result was the first regular-issue U.S. circulating coin to carry the portrait of a real president. Brenner's Lincoln was based on a February 1864 photograph taken at Mathew Brady's Washington studio, only about fourteen months before Lincoln's assassination. That portrait stayed on the cent, essentially unchanged, for well over a century until circulating cent production ended in 2025.
The VDB Controversy: Three Initials That Changed Everything
The 1909-S VDB exists because the public objected to Brenner's initials, and the Treasury ordered them removed within days of the coin's August 2, 1909 release. Brenner had placed "V.D.B." at the bottom of the reverse, between the two wheat stalks. Designer credits were nothing new on U.S. coins, but these initials were larger and more visible than most, and critics called them free advertising for a private artist on a government coin.
The reaction moved fast. The Mint halted production of the VDB design and prepared new dies without the initials, but both the Philadelphia and San Francisco mints had already struck some coins before the change took effect. Philadelphia's head start was large: 27,995,000 VDB cents, which is why the 1909 Philadelphia VDB remains common and affordable today.
San Francisco had struck only 484,000 VDB cents before switching to the plain reverse. That small run, lost among millions of nearly identical cents, is what turned the 1909-S VDB into a legend. Collectors noticed immediately that the VDB coins were being withdrawn, and many examples were set aside from the moment of release.
- A cut-short run — the VDB reverse was pulled after only a brief production period, capping San Francisco's output at 484,000.
- Heavy circulation losses — most examples entered everyday commerce, and many survive only in low grades or were lost entirely.
- Over a century of demand — the coin has been a recognized key date since 1909, and nearly every Lincoln cent collector needs one.
- No restrikes — this was a single production run with no later reissue.
The Four 1909 Lincoln Cent Varieties Compared
The mid-year design change created four distinct 1909 Lincoln cents: VDB and no-VDB versions from both Philadelphia and San Francisco. The 1909-S VDB has by far the lowest mintage of the four, less than 2% of the Philadelphia VDB issue, which is why its value dwarfs the others at every grade.
The no-VDB 1909-S is worth knowing too. With 1,825,000 struck, it is a legitimate semi-key date that often gets overlooked in the shadow of its famous sibling, and it is required for any complete date-and-mint set.
1909 VDB
$15 – $22 circulated1909-S VDB
$650 – $2,000 circulated1909 (No VDB)
$2 – $10 circulated1909-S (No VDB)
$90 – $175 circulated| Variety | Mintage | G-4 | VF-20 | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1909 VDB | 27,995,000 | $15 – $20 | $18 – $22 | Shop → |
| 1909-S VDB | 484,000 | $875 | $1,250 – $1,350 | Shop → |
| 1909 (No VDB) | 72,702,618 | $2 – $5 | $5 – $10 | Shop → |
| 1909-S (No VDB) | 1,825,000 | $90 – $110 | $150 – $175 | Shop → |
Compare certified 1909-S VDB Lincoln cents across every grade, from affordable circulated examples to red mint state coins.
Certified Examples on eBay Lincoln Cent Books on AmazonHow to Identify a Genuine 1909-S VDB (and Spot Fakes)
A genuine 1909-S VDB has two features together: the V.D.B. initials on the reverse and an S mint mark on the obverse. The initials sit centered at the bottom of the reverse, between the wheat stalks and just above the rim, in three small capital letters. On genuine coins they are part of the die, so they share the same depth, sharpness, and surface texture as every other design element.
The S mint mark appears on the obverse directly below the date, which is where it sits on every Lincoln cent. Because the 1909-S VDB is so valuable and so famous, it is one of the most frequently altered and counterfeited coins in American numismatics. Examine any example under a 10x loupe before trusting it, and treat certification as essential for any coin priced in the hundreds of dollars.
- Added S mint mark — a genuine, common 1909 Philadelphia VDB cent with an S glued, soldered, or tooled beneath the date. Look for disturbed metal around the letter, a seam at its base, uneven depth, or a surface texture that doesn't match the field.
- Added V.D.B. initials — a genuine 1909-S (no VDB) cent with initials engraved or stamped onto the reverse. Hand-added letters are usually too shallow, too sharp-edged, or slightly misaligned compared with die-struck letters.
- Cast or struck counterfeits — complete fakes, often with soft detail, a grainy surface, or an incorrect weight (genuine coins weigh 3.11 grams).
PCGS and NGC have authenticated thousands of these coins, and their holders are the definitive safeguard. Raw examples offered well below market are a red flag.
The VDB Initials Return: 1918 and Beyond
Brenner's initials came back to the Lincoln cent in 1918, this time in tiny letters on the obverse, tucked along the bottom edge of Lincoln's shoulder. The Mint made the change quietly, and the new placement was so discreet that many people handled Lincoln cents for years without noticing the initials were there at all.
Brenner died in 1924, only six years after his credit was restored, without ever receiving full public recognition for one of the most enduring coin designs in history. His initials remained on the shoulder through the rest of the Lincoln cent's long run, which makes the 1909 reverse placement the only time V.D.B. appeared prominently, and the 1909-S VDB the rarest reminder of it.
Where to Buy a 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent
The 1909-S VDB is a copper numismatic coin, not a precious-metal product, so bullion dealers don't carry it. The most practical sources are eBay's certified-coin listings and reference books that help you study the coin and its common alterations before buying.
eBay
Amazon
Related Lincoln Cent & Key Date Guides
1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent FAQ
How much is a 1909-S VDB penny worth?
What does VDB stand for on the penny?
Why is the 1909-S VDB so valuable?
How can I tell if my 1909-S VDB is real?
Where is the mint mark on a 1909-S VDB?
Is a 1909-S penny without VDB also valuable?
Why has the 1909-S VDB held its value so well?
How much is a complete Lincoln Wheat cent set worth?
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