1909 1C Lincoln Cent, VDB PCGS MS66+RD (CAC)

Here is a stunning example of a coin with the famous “V.D.B” initials that so many collectors want to own. It is a very affordable option when one compares the price of this coin with a full Red 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent. Plus it carries the desirable and valuable green CAC sticker. PCGS has graded 183 as MS66+ with 447 finer. In CAC, there are 421 in MS66/66+ with 96 finer.

This is a classic first year type, one that would look great in your collection. David Hall writes, “The coin is usually very well struck. The full Red Gems are often "very Red" in appearance, not subdued at all.”

The famous “V.D.B.” initials on the reverse of the 1909 Lincoln cent. Photo courtesy of the PCGS Coinfacts website.

Removing the "V.D.B." from the Lincoln Cent

Three days after the release of the 1909 Lincoln cents, Treasury Secretary Franklin MacVeagh decided that the coin designer's initials on the bottom reverse of the coins, "V.D.B.," were too prominently displayed. It was then decided that the offending initials would be removed!

David Margolick wrote in the New York Times, "It was not the first time a designer's monogram had appeared on an American coin, nor were the letters especially large. But instantly, Brenner was labeled a shameless self-promoter; The Times mocked that all future pennies should sport not just Brenner's full name, but his address and a picture of his office. Rumors flew that the offending letters would soon be removed, and when those rumors were confirmed, the collecting frenzy only grew."