97 Years Of Lincoln Update

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Originally posted by dsking

I should have this collection finished in a few more weeks and all from circulation my friends (and Mom ofcourse)!

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Congratulations dsking! Just a reminder...when you come back to Colorado and cross the state line, be very careful with your collection, as Gary may be there to meet you for the emport fee on your pennies!

Very nice stories guys!! Thanks for sharing them with us

Funny you posted this - I am doing the same exact project right now! I have two boxes of 100, and I am collecting a roll of every modern and Wheat penny. I am about 75 percent complete!

I am wondering what all this cent hoarding is doing for the national economy. And especially the effects on copper values for those billions and billions of copper wheat cents and Lincoln Memorial cents sitting in peoples' jars, drawers, tubes, shoeboxes, and tobacco tins.

Reminds me of another story. A long time ago (1930s - during The Great Depression) while my father was in college at RPI in Troy, NY, the students embarked on a crusade to take all the cents out of circulation they could get their hands on. While it started out as a joke, more or less, it escalated into a statement of the effect of the college on the local economy. It worked. Within a few weeks, the area was cent-challenged and the banks, merchants, and everyone else were begging (then threatening) the students to release the cents to get the economy back on the move. They responded with flair and released them all at once with every possible purchase being made in cents. In no time, there was a glut on the local market of cents. I don't think the town has fully recovered.

Fred

Great collection. My daughters collection is all circulated coins of all demominations. What is so special about 1909 vdb?
LeAnn

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Originally posted by LeAnn

Great collection. My daughters collection is all circulated coins of all demominations. What is so special about 1909 vdb?
LeAnn

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1909 was the first year of issue for the Lincoln Cent. The designers initials, VDB ( Victor David Brenner), were placed underneath the wheat stalks on the reverse. The Mint director thought that this was rather gaudy and had the initials removed later during 1909. The intials were finally returned in 1918 albeit in a smaller version on the bottom of Lincolns bust.

1909 VDB (no mintmark = Philadelphia mint) cents do not have any especial value above plain 1909 cents, but the 1909-S VDB (San Francisco mint) have a LOT of value. A well-worn (grade P-02 meaning the date is barely readable) 1909-S VDB will still be worth hundreds of bucks. The 1909-S VDB is also the most recognized uncommon/rare coin of all US coins among the non-numismatic public. As a result, it's been widely counterfeited. I suspect many (or most) of the uncertified 09S VDBs on ebay are altered dates or otherwise fakes or counterfeits.

As an investment, 1909-S VDB cents are as good as any IF they have been authenticated by one of the top third party grading services (specifically PCGS, ANACS, NGC). I would never buy a raw 09S VDB off ebay unless I had money to burn.

Fred