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 Replies: 19 / Views: 2,578 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
663 Posts |
How rare is it to find a 1909 S VDB or a 1909 VDB in the wild?
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4618 Posts |
With a mintage of only 484,000 and everyone looking for them for the last 100+ years, it's really, really rare. Not impossible, but rare.
Oops, I missed that your question had two parts.
The 1909 VDB would be a lot easier. They minted 27,995,000 in Philadelphia so it's about 60 time more likely. Still rare, but it could happen.
Edit: Added to answer.
ANA ID: 3203813 - CONECA ID: N-5637 Clean a coin that may be worth collecting? Please DON'T! When in doubt, leave it dirty!! 
Edited by Yokozuna
11/09/2019 12:25 pm
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Rest in Peace
United States
18456 Posts |
 , If I'm not mistaken one of our members recently found a 1909-VDB in change .  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7276 Posts |
I found a 1909 VDB in the wild but never found a 1909 S VDB.
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Moderator
United States
54282 Posts |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
19963 Posts |
As I recall, I've only ever heard of one person finding an S-VDB in the wild in my life (I am old).
I have heard of a few VDB finds over the years but it's rare.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3659 Posts |
I grew up back when dinosaurs roamed, and fairly easily assembled most of a set of Lincoln Cents from circulation. Even then, the 1909-S VDB didn't exist in the wild. The 1909 VDB, however, could be found from time to time.
I have found a few 1909 no-VDB cents over the last few years, and one badly mangled 1909 VDB cull. I posted a possible Poor-1 1909-S on here from circulation a couple years back, but it was too far gone for positive identification.
IMHO, the only way a genuine circulating 1909-S VDB could exist would be from a stolen collection.
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Rest in Peace
 United States
1380 Posts |
Stolen collection, or, once in a while for publicity at a big coin show someone will release a 1909 S VDB to see if it gets found.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
Found many VDBs back in the '50s but certainly not an SVDB. But agree that someone on this forum found the latter not that long ago.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
5246 Posts |
The United States has issued, probably, about 500 billion 1 cent coins. If the 1909S VDB were distributed randomly in the lot (which they are not, of course), your odds of finding one would be about 1 in a million. Given losses and the efforts of millions of collectors looking for one, even imagining that 1 in a 1000 are still truly in circulation would be very optimistic. At that ratio you would need to search 1 billion coins to find one. If you could search a box a day, say 1 million per year, after 1000 years you would find one.
Low odds, I would say.
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Rest in Peace
United States
18456 Posts |
Quote:
If you could search a box a day, say 1 million per year, after 1000 years you would find one.
Ok I'll try it and let you know how I made out .  |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
5246 Posts |
@T-BOP, since it will take 1000 years, you better get on it right away!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7049 Posts |
WOW,T-BOP is down grading from nickels to cents...  Good luck on your search, keep us posted every decade...PLEASE...  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3207 Posts |
I've found 3 or 4 VDBs in circulation, most recently about 20 years ago.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
36808 Posts |
In the 1950's not hard at all if you lived on the west coast. Today, extremely rare.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4085 Posts |
Quote:
The United States has issued, probably, about 500 billion 1 cent coins. If the 1909S VDB were distributed randomly in the lot (which they are not, of course), your odds of finding one would be about 1 in a million. Given losses and the efforts of millions of collectors looking for one, even imagining that 1 in a 1000 are still truly in circulation would be very optimistic. At that ratio you would need to search 1 billion coins to find one. If you could search a box a day, say 1 million per year, after 1000 years you would find one. So, you're telling me there's a chance! — Lloyd Christmas |
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Replies: 19 / Views: 2,578 |
Posted 11/09/2019 12:31 pm
