1909 S VDB Lincoln Wheat Cents - Which Do You Keep?

If you are only selling because you need the money, then I would sell something else instead....like a kidney maybe lol (just joking).

If you are selling because you don't want to keep both, then it's a tough choice.

It looks like a very gentle cleaning, so although it is less desirable now, that may change over time when it retones..

I like the first one much better.

I would go with the first one, it appears more natural.
All that glitters is not gold.

After rethinking this for a time, I decided I would send them both in for grading and keep the highest graded one.

Dan

Grading a coin has nothing to do with the die condition when the coin was struck
Grading a coin has nothing to do with Machine Doubling. While most collectors prefer not to have, they still graded as a normal coin.
Grading a coin has nothing to do with finger prints or carbon spots. They grade them as a normal coin.
When buying a graded coin buy the coin, not the plastic. Even though it has a nice grade, you may still be let down without seeing images of the real coin.
When buying a coin, don't take for granted that they have it correct. They are wrong often I've noticed on even PCGS coins. Case in point:



Why is thing not the correct coin. Note the zero on the date? See how the loop at 4:00 Sags? That is the correct doublling for the DDO-002. There coin is the top one that they graded as the real deal, which it is not. How did they miss that? They were probably grading from the die chips on Liberty. They don't realize there is a DDO-002 want to be out there. They got caught on that. Here is what they missed:

Note the die chips on Liberty? Note the example they thought it was the want to be DDO. Theirs it he top image, the lower image is what they should have been looking for. Most don't know about the want to be or actually what to, look for on the real DDO. The odd shaped loop on the zero is the clue.

Save this image for your own educational files. The next time you as a 1909 VDB, you will wish that had saved it. Then try finding this thread again. Good luck with that. So save it now.
Imagine someone buying this coin and never even knowing it was not the right die for that coin?
Buy the coin, not the plastic. No images other than the slab. Pass until you are convinced you have the real deal and will be happy with the coins condition.

True. But to a seasoned collector, we are disappointed when they don't consider that something are not what a true collector would expect on a coin that is graded. Thus the warning buy the coin, not the plastic. Don't assume and get burned. See it before buying it.

I was buying RPMs from ebay for a time, but they showed the coin, but not a close up view of the RPM. I got burned from one seller that I spent $35 dollars on and none were the right RPM. On another seller I was getting the correct the RPM, but they were the VLDS die state RPMs. So I stopped buying from them also. Thus I mention the seeing before getting burned comment.

Send pics!