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Updated: February 20, 2024

1909-S VDB Penny Values, Varieties, and Rarities

Steven Cochran

Published: January 22, 2024

1909-S VDB pennies are worth over $2,000 in all Mint State grades. They can even reach six-figure dollar amounts!

The famous 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent is the undisputed “key date” of the entire series. The tiny 484,000 mintage and the drama surrounding VDB cents have ensured that demand for the 1909-S VDB cent has outstripped supply from the very first day. If not for the widespread hoarding of the coin when it was first released, the surviving number of 1909-S VDB pennies would certainly be much lower than they are.

1909 was the 100th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth, with celebrations and commemorations across the nation. One of the most-anticipated events was the release of a new penny design to be issued to mark the occasion. By the time the Lincoln cent was released on August 2nd, the anticipation had become a mania.

1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent, graded MS-67 RD by PCGS

Demand for the coin skyrocketed when production was suspended just three days later. Newspapers stirred up public agitation over Lincoln cent designer Victor D. Brenner including his initials on the coin's reverse.

The drama led the Secretary of the Treasury to order VDB letters to be removed from the coin. Production resumed on August 12th, using dies without the initials. The sudden removal of the initials ignited a craze to hoard as many 1909-S VDB cents as they could get their hands on.

NOTE: THE RARITY AND VALUE OF THE 1909-S VDB LINCOLN CENT MAKE IT INSANELY POPULAR WITH COUNTERFEITERS!

1909-S VDB Lincoln Penny Prices

MINT STATE GRADES

BROWN

Grade	Price
MS-60 BN	$2,200
MS-61 BN	$2,325
MS-62 BN	$2,350
MS-63 BN	$2,600
MS-64 BN	$3,150
MS-65 BN	$4,750
MS-66 BN	$7,500
MS-67 BN	$25,000

RED-BROWN

Grade	Price
MS-60 RB	$2,300
MS-61 RB	$2,400
MS-62 RB	$2,500
MS-63 RB	$2,750
MS-64 RB	$3,300
MS-65 RB	$5,200
MS-66 RB	$9,000
MS-67 RB	$50,000

RED

Grade	Price
MS-60 RD	$2,300
MS-61 RD	$2,500
MS-62 RD	$2,600
MS-63 RD	$2,750
MS-64 RD	$5,250
MS-65 RD	$8,000
MS-66 RD	$17,500
MS-67 RD	$175,000

DID YOU KNOW?
Coins are graded on a 70-point scale, where 1 is so worn as to be almost unidentifiable, and 70 is perfect, with no damage or blemishes visible even under magnification.

RD, RB, BN: What Do They Mean?

Lincoln Cents are not only graded by condition but also by how much of their original color remains. There are three classifications: Brown (BN), Red-Brown (RB), and Red (RD).

1969 Lincoln Cents graded BN, RB, and RD (PCGS)

These definitions are more subjective than the physical grades laid out in the 1–70 coin grading scale.

Circulated cents and uncirculated ones exposed to air develop a brown, sometimes chocolatey color. All things being equal, cents graded BN are far less desirable to collectors than RB or RD coins.

Red-brown cents have a good portion of their original luster remaining. The exact amount of red remaining for a coin to be considered RB can differ among grading services. Some collectors find that certain RB cents can have more eye appeal than a “better” RD coin of the same condition grade.

Red coins have almost all their original luster present. For older cents, this is usually only possible for new coins kept in rolls or airtight containers or from unopened Mint Sets.

Finest Known 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cents and Auction Records

1909-S VDB BROWN CENT VALUE

AUCTION RECORD: $10,000 for MS-66 BN (2022: eBay)

FINEST KNOWN: MS-67 BN (PCGS); MS-66 BN (NGC)

1909-S VDB RED-BROWN CENT VALUE

AUCTION RECORD: $19,200 for MS-67 RB (2021: Heritage)

FINEST KNOWN: MS-67 RB (PCGS); MS-67 RB (NGC)

1909-S VDB RED CENT VALUE

AUCTION RECORD: $168,000 for MS-67 RD (2022: Stack’s Bowers)

FINEST KNOWN: MS-67 RD (PCGS); MS-67 RD (NGC)

1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent Varieties

Variety coins have had something happen to the die before the coin is struck. (Anything that happens to the penny after they are ejected from the coining press is referred to as “post-mint damage.”) Errors occur due to accidents during the minting process.

Common mint Varieties include Doubled Die on Reverse (DDR), Doubled Die on Obverse (DDO), and Repunched Mint Mark (RPM).

There are no major varieties of the 1909-S Lincoln cent.

Error Coins

Error coins result from a mechanical malfunction of the coin press or particular die, or a defect or mistake in the coin blank itself. (Anything that happens to them after they are ejected from the coining press is referred to as “post-mint damage.”)

Common error coins are:

Die Cracks, where the die is beginning to fail. Since the crack grows as the die is used, die cracks can be considered errors instead of varieties. Coin varieties, such as doubled dies, have the same characteristics across many coins.

Cuds, where a piece of the die on the rim cracks and breaks off, letting the metal flow through to fill the gap.

Wrong Planchet errors, where the wrong coin blank is fed through the press. One example is a penny struck on a dime press. These errors can sometimes be worth far more than a variety coin.

Off-center strikes, where the coin blank is not completely fed into the press before it is stamped. Some off-center strikes can have deformed coin blanks and just a small portion of the coin design present. These drastic errors are popular and can be worth substantial money to the right collector.

Double Strikes, where the coin was not fully ejected from the coin press before the next strike. Double Strikes are the most attractive coin error and command prices to match.

Read more about the value of Lincoln cents from the experts at Gainesville Coins:

1909 VDB Penny Value, Errors, and Varieties

10 Most Valuable Pennies: Are These in Your Pocket Change?

1912-S Penny Values, Errors, and Rarities

1964 Lincoln Penny Values, Errors, and Rarities

1943 Steel Penny Value: How Much They Are Worth Now

What Are Pennies Made Of?

1905 Indian Head Penny Values, Errors, and Rarities

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