1909-S Lincoln Cent. V.D.B. MS-66 RD (PCGS).This is a delightful Gem, fully struck with smooth surfaces and vivid golden-orange and pinkish-red luster. The recorded mintage of the San Francisco Mints initial contribution to the Lincoln cent series came in at a paltry 484,000 pieces. After these examples were produced coinage stopped when unfounded newspaper articles complained about the prominence of the designers initials, V.D.B., along the lower reverse border. Accordingly, Treasury Department officials mandated their removal, and Lincoln cent coinage continued without the designers initials until 1918, after Brenners death, when they were quietly added to a less conspicuous place along the base of Lincolns shoulder. Widely saved at the time by contemporary Americans looking for a keepsake of the new small cent, the 1909-S V.D.B. is more plentiful in Mint State than the limited mintage might imply. With the quality offered here this issue is scarce, however, and it is actually rare compared to the demand that such pieces enjoy among advanced Lincoln cent enthusiasts.
