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 Replies: 21 / Views: 1,253 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
521 Posts |
*** Moved by Staff to a more appropriate forum.  ***Hello, Does anyone have advice on collecting wheats 09-58. Where have you found your best deals? I see a ton of "lots" listed on ebay and of course, the unsearched rolls. I want to get an album, too. So, here a few specific questions to get me started. 1. What album do you like? I really like Dansco albums but not too much for copper. My coins will be circulated and won't show well off the tan pages. 2. I want mid-tier circulated, problem free coins. Should I buy lots, pick through, and resell? Maybe I should find a dealer with bowls to pick through. That would be fun. 3. I'll probably buy the 4 keys as certified examples. But, that leaves holes in the book! 4. Are there certain dates that are more challenging? In my initial review, there seem to be many, many coins available. 5. Is this a popular series? I had a folder as a kid in the 80's and always thought finding a wheaty was cool. But after a while, going through my grandmother's hoard of 40's and 50's became less than interesting. Thank you Any other ideas, experiences, or advice would be welcome. Here's my start:  
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19110 Posts |
From my perspective: 1) Dansco -- I have eight Danscos dedicated to Lincoln wheat cents. 2) I've been acquiring wheat cents across several decades. I avoid 'unsearched' rolls on ebay. Nearly all of my album material came from older albums/folders picked up at coins shows, coin shops, and ebay. Have purchased a few high value pieces from dealers at shops and coin shows. Have also picked up a few (very few) decent pieces roll searching--rolls from banks. 3) Unfilled album holes are okay. 4) Yes. I suspect you know which ones they are--1909 S vdb, 1914 D, 1922 'no D'. You can find decent examples, but they cost $$$$. Of course, there's the classic 1955 DDO. 5) Yes, it's a popular series. Keep an eye out for varieties and errors. Wheats from the '50s are choked with die cracks, BIEs, die chips, etc. Wheats also are a nice source of distinctive lamination issues and 'woody' features. Edited by ijn1944
02/20/2026 5:14 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
10472 Posts |
With Wheat cents there are no dates that are hard to find/buy - the problem lies within the price. Obviously the 09S VDB will be the most expensive.
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Moderator
United States
94636 Posts |
Quote:
and of course, the unsearched rolls 'Unsearched rolls are almost ALWAYS been searched before getting rolled up... |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1888 Posts |
Intercept Shield makes one of the best quality albums on the market.
The pages are dark green, which contrasts really well with the post-1950s coins which are all relatively easy to obtain in BU condition.
But with older duller coins, imho the lighter colored pages like Dansco are better.
Littleton Coin Co. also makes green albums but I do not have any, so cannot vouch for their quality.
I have so many loose wheat cents hanging out here in jars and older cheap Whitman folders
that I would be happy to help jump start your project.
No extra key dates though, sorry.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1613 Posts |
Point by point. Albums are more or less by preference, I still have the old blue my parents bought me years ago. I like the direction your looking to under take, aside from dealers I'd add coin shows. And yes, lots with a resale is perfect. May end up getting what you need for free when it's all said and done. Certified is a must, my opinion, on the keys. You could opt for the lesser graders such as ICG and crack them out. I'm doing this with the Liberty nickels. Just like any series run, some are going to be tougher to find yet much more doable than others. Finally, wheat backs have always been popular and that shouldn't change, I see long term value for sure. ANA member - PAN Member - BCCS Member There are no problems only solutions - the late, great John Lennon
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
521 Posts |
Thanks everybody. First, I need to realize that Lincolns are in the "modern" forum- sorry about that mods, appreciate you moving the thread. I ordered a Littleton album, the green one for 09-58. As I said earlier, I primarily use Dansco, so I'm anxious to see how it compares quality wise. I also ended up winning a "folders with coins" lot on ebay, with bad pictures. We'll see how it goes. It was a spur of the moment decision. Hopefully, I'll get a decent start. I'll update as I go. I like the buy lower-tier certs approach. I've found a few decent buys over the years when doing that. Cheers! |
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Moderator
United States
187501 Posts |
Quote:
1. What album do you like? I really like Dansco albums but not too much for copper. My coins will be circulated and won't show well off the tan pages. My wheat cents are circulated, housed in a Dansco 8100, and look very nice to me.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
521 Posts |
Last week, I won an auction for 6 folders: 3 Whitman 1 and 3 Whitman 2. I just finished going through the earlier sets. I liked doing this, especially trying to determine which coin, when there were duplicates, graded higher. I was unfamiliar with grading this series, and this has been a great learning experience. I didn't find any keys, but, surprisingly, there were no real culls. I did find 5 1909 VDBs, which was cool. I'm still waiting on my album, but the first picture is of the "keepers". The other picture is what is left in the original 3 folders. I'll probably sell those on ebay. Next up are the Number 2 folders, all of which are pretty full. Haven't verified dates yet.   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
521 Posts |
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Moderator
United States
187501 Posts |
Outstanding!  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
521 Posts |
I received my Littleton album and wanted to share my opinion. First, it seems to be high quality and looks quite attractive. I like the way the album, although a bit bulky, sits and displays coins. I did find the inserts incredibly tight. They are impossible to put in without getting finger prints all over. I slipped and ended up tearing two corners of the pages. I just taped them, so you can't notice. They shipped the pages and inserts separately so I had to put them all in. It's no wonder because no machine or even most people, could do it without damaging something. Despite how attractive the album is, it ultimately lacks functionality. I recommend sticking to or going with Dansco. It's too bad because I think the coins show really well. They did throw in a pair of white gloves,    |
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Moderator
United States
187501 Posts |
Thank you for sharing your experience. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
521 Posts |
So, I'm getting close to completing this set. I've moved into the semi-keys. I've got a 15 S and 11 S on the way. The 24 D is a little tricky. I really need to hit a coin show as ebay seems overpriced on a few of these. After that and the 12 S, I'm down to the big 4. Does anyone have any tips? I'm leaning toward slabs for those, but maybe not. Are those often faked? For the 09 S VDB, it will be TPG, but maybe the others I'd like raw. It's always the case when I have an album. I want to buy raw or break them out. Those pesky holes. Edited by johnny676767
05/01/2026 4:34 pm
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Moderator
United States
187501 Posts |
Well done! I am down to the last two—09SVDB and 22 Plain. I plan on buying those slabbed. They will be cracked for the Dansco though. Everything else has been raw. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19930 Posts |
Good Luck! Remember, it's a marathon and not a sprint. It's a LOT more difficult that people think.  My advice is find a good, local coin shop. I became friends with a new shop that opened and it was the best thing I ever did for my collection. An active shop takes in thousands of coins a week and to a dealer, the masses of bulk wheats are little more than junk. He run through them for the keys and just pile the rest up and eventually put them in 5000 ct bags - for resale ($250), mainly to other dealers. Those bags were GOLD for me because he didn't look too close so cherrypicked the hell outta them. |
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Replies: 21 / Views: 1,253 |
Posted 02/20/2026 8:18 pm
