1914-D Lincoln Cent Authentication

Also, if some cheat changes the 4 of a 1941-1947 coin to a 1, making it a 1911-1917, you will also see the tiny "VBD" below Lincoln's shoulder (unless they also took care to remove that). The "VDB" did not appear on the 1910-1917 cents. It was restored to the cent in 1918.

You can see scratches where the 4 was removed also! great link it will help

One of the defining things to pay attention to in the alteration of later date cents to those of the teens (with the 1911D, 1911S, 1914D and 1914S as the focus) is the fact that the cents of the 1940s had a significantly different design than those of the teens. Once a little time is taken to gain experience telling the difference between them, it becomes obvious enough that the altered cents can be detected at a glance.

The coins that are of greatest danger are struck counterfeits, which to exist at least for the 1914D, 1914S, and 1911S cents (because I have all three). The struck counterfeits have the proper design but are soft in nature and can still be told by the discerning collector, but are far better in quality than simple alterations and can be very difficult to detect for novice collectors.

By far and away the best measure for ensuring you are purchasing a genuine example is to buy one that has either already been encapsulated by a major grading service, or if raw, make sure your purchase is from an experienced dealer with a no-fault return policy.

Great advice too coppercoins & Big-byte

Chuck, I've also seen struck countfeits for the 1909-S VDB.