Lincoln Wheat Cents

1909 Penny FAQ

By October 16, 2015August 16th, 2019No Comments

1909 was a giant year for the penny. Learn by way of this FAQ (Often Requested Questions) and learn why.

QUESTION: What’s so particular about a 1909 penny?

ANSWER:  One factor there were two differing kinds: The Indian Head cent and the Lincoln Head cent. The year 1909 was the last 12 months Indian cents had been made, and it was the primary yr for the Lincoln cent.

QUESTION: Why was the design modified?

ANSWER: Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809. The Lincoln cent was designed to commemorate the centennial of his delivery.

QUESTION: What does “1909 VDB penny” mean?

ANSWER: The designer of the Lincoln cent was a sculptor named Victor David Brenner. The letters VDB are his initials, positioned on the reverse aspect of the coin on the backside. Though the initials have been tiny, they created fairly a stir.

QUESTION: Why was placing the designer’s initials on the Lincoln coin an enormous deal?

ANSWER: In the long run the controversy over Brenner’s initials was probably a case of professional jealousy on the a part of the in-house design workers on the US Mint. Victor D. Brenner was an outsider, recommended by President Theodore Roosevelt, who admired an earlier Lincoln plaque that Brenner had designed. Roosevelt had made no secret about his need to improve the looks of US coinage, which he felt lacked creative sophistication. He felt that a nation of rising significance like the USA ought to have a coinage whose design reflected its standing in the world. So it was not shocking that the President would look outdoors the mint for expertise.

QUESTION: What’s the 1909 S VDB penny? Is an S VDB totally different than a plain old VDB?

ANSWER: The letter S is the mint mark of the San Francisco Mint. The VDB pennies had been made at Philadelphia and San Francisco. The variety of coins with the initials made on the S mint was the smallest of all of the 1909 pennies.

QUESTION: What else ought to I find out about VDB pennies?

ANSWER: There are a number of fascinating pathways via the VDB penny story. For instance, Victor D. Brenner did have an attention-grabbing historical past that sparked public curiosity. Brenner’s rivals, and the sensational newspapers of the day had a subject day!


1909 s vdb and 1955 double died error price comparison