1909 S (Weak) VDB Lincoln Cent "To V Or Not To V" You Vs NGC

Something's smelling fishy on this coin. If I wasnt able to see the V.and D.and a buggard up B I would cry foul. I trust NGC and their certification, but I know their not infallible. Hmmmm very interesting. Your comments are a big help, it may very well be one that got by NGC? The coin is such a stinker that I am inclined to believe they scrutinized it very carefully. It was swabbed so recently that they may recall if I inquire. Dosent TPG's guarantee their coins?

Very interesting. I'm going to follow up with NGC and see if I can get any information. My hope is the coin is authentic, from what I gather the fair market value is guaranteed by them in the event its an altered coin. Will repost when I get to the bottom of this. Thanks for your help.

They're going to ask for you to send it back for review.

If you're close to Baltimore at all they will still be there Saturday where you could bring it to them and see otherwise you'll just have to call them next week and see what their process for review is.

CAC, brilliant idea jimbucks. Doing so would get an out of the NGC box opionion. I believe I will do just that and if it comes back a no go then off to NGC it goes.

Many years ago I bought and sold a raw vf 09-s weak vdb. Memory says it brought just under the normal vdb money. Course I bought it for much less (think it was $80). This example I would grade F12.

Good luck! I hope that coin is just an anomaly for the issue. What I'm wondering is if CAC even does authentication? I thought all they cared about was the quality of the coin for the given grade? I think the better choice would have to attempt a crossover to PCGS, JMHO.

Can you make out the die chip in the upper loop of the S? I just can't see it in the pictures. I found another example with a weak VDB. The issue is the MM still, even on coins graded down to G, the MM is clear.

https://coins.ha.com/itm/lincoln-ce...ot=1&x=0&y=0

Maybe it took an unfortunate hit to the MM. However, if I was a TPG I wouldn't authentic it unless I could nail the diagnostics....especially the most often faked and most reliable one....the MM.

Remember the devices such as the mm and date get "smooshed" with wear. Subsequently they would expand and throw off the lines drawn from them. I think, it matches one of the known mint marks. I have an 09 with polished off VDB, that you can see fairly easily in AU that I'm sure would be almost impossible to do see in VG. This could be what you are looking at.