The 1909-S VDB Is Not The True Key Date Of The LWC Series (Data Analysis)

The 1920's branch mint coins are scarce in high grades, and even RARER with full details. Much harder to find these than the SVDB. I was VERY lucky to find this on ebay.

Well that's true. There are more "key" coins in terms of conditional rarity, but my main point with this thread was survival rates and initial mintages.




No idea myself. Maybe someone else does though.




I appreciate that. I probably will if I find another topic that interests me and I think that should be covered assuming it hasn't already.

My understanding is that the 1909-S VDB and 1931-S Lincoln cents were known to be lower mintage coins at the time they were struck/released but the 1914-D was not originally recognized as a low-mintage coin.

So, collectors and dealers were able to stockpile the 1909-S and 1931-S coins which led to their high survival rates. The 1914-D did not benefit from the same initial "hoarding" and so fewer survived.

Very interesting read. Survival numbers are the true gauge of rarity rather than original mintage numbers and this is especially true in the Morgan dollar series..

Your analysis of the key date (business strikes) in the Lincoln Cent series is correct regarding the 1914-D vs. the 1909-S VDB. With all the public controversy with the engraver's initials on the reverse of the first year issue, and then almost immediate removal of the initials, the public hoarded the 1909-S VDB resulting in the enduring population of mint state coins in the numismatic market for years. As late as 1981 at the local coin show, a older couple came to the dealer table in the full roll of MS 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cents. The outer coins on either end were gummed up, but 2/3 of the interior coins were full red, pristine! We bought the full roll on the spot. Not so for the 1914-D and 1914-S with strong strikes! They're scarce! Incidentally, in the 40+ years of collecting mint state Lincoln Cents - I found the 1923-S, full red with strong strike the toughest!

You cannot claim the 43 bronze cent is a key date by the simple virtue that it is not a "date". It's an error coin. You could say the 43 Bronze is a iconic rarity to the series, you could say it's the crown jewel of LWC errors, but you couldn't say it is a key date.

I say that the 1964 sms penny is a key date
It's not an error coin!

*** Edited by Staff - Please stop with the emoji overload, this is about the 10th post I've edited of yours. One is enough, you don't need 30. ***