A controversial history
Have you ever looked at price guides for coins and came across one particular coin called a 1909 S VDB that was worth just $750 in low condition and up to $5000 and more in very high conditions? Did you scratch your head and wonder to yourself, "Why is this one coin worth so much more than the others and what in the world is a VDB?" Well, the answer to that questions lies in both history and the number that was minted.
The answers to your questions
Let's start out by taking a trip back in time to the year 1909. President Theodore Roosevelt wanted to commemorate Lincoln's centennial (100 year anniversary of Lincoln's birth). Roosevelt came across Victor David Brenner, a sculptor and numismatist who recently produced a medal and plaque of Lincoln in 1907. Brenner suggested the idea of putting Lincoln's face on a cent as the Indian Head penny had been used for half a century and it seemed the appropriate coin to use. Roosevelt liked this idea and so plans ensued for the redesign of the one cent. On August 2, 1909 the Lincoln cent was released into circulation. People went crazy over this new coin and quickly scooped up every single available one.
All was not well in paradise, however, as in the background many people were upset about the prominent initials of Brenner (V.D.B.) on the reverse of the coin. Some said that since Brenner had been paid for to make this design and he was basically a hired workman no recognition was needed. Others said that the letters were too prominent and that most people didn't know what the initials meant and thought it had some sort of secret meaning. Soon complaints and demands were made to the Mint demanding that the initials be taken off any future mints of this coin.
In addition, other did not like the new cent as they believed the wheat stalks on the reverse did not represent this species of grain in real life. Others even included comments that Southerners did not like Lincoln in the first place and that the use of his face on the cent was unfortunate. However, it has been said that black citizens eagerly snatched up these souvenirs of the "Great Emancipator."
The Mint soon made plans to continue production of the Lincoln cent but with the V.D.B. initials removed. By this time Roosevelt had completed his term as president and was succeeded by William Howard Taft who did not have interest in the matters of coins.
The 1909 V.D.B. cent minted in Philadelphia (27,995,000 were minted) remained plentiful for a long time as hobby dealers did not make a big deal of their rarity and focused rather on the 1909 S V.D.B. minted in San Francisco (only 484,000 of these were minted). This coin quickly was considered scarce and later was considered rare. These coins with a small "S" mint mark below the 1909 date and with the initials V.D.B. on the reverse created a treasure-seeking mentality in many people's minds and the urge to search through pocket change to find this rare treasure. As the years have gone by thousands of these have been taken out circulation, but there are still so many collectors out there that need this coin to fill their collections or albums 1909 S V.D.B. hole.
Perhaps now you also, after knowing the intriguing story of the 1909 S V.D.B., will start searching in your pocket change or in that old jar of wheat pennies you've been saving since you were a kid. You never know when you might get lucky and find the true King of the Lincoln cents!
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