So I found a 1909-S VDB in bulk wheat cents + a few other semi-keys...

Omegaraptor

As of lately I've discovered that the bulk wheat cents coming out of my LCS yield way more semi key dates and otherwise nice coins than normal, and I've been clearing out their supply every time I go. So far, it's paid off every time. I usually get at least one semi-key for every 200 coins or so, and have filled a few tough Dansco holes for basically free. Last time I was at the LCS, I overheard that they were coming up on 300 bags of wheat cents sold and they would "accidentally" throw a 1909-S VDB into the 300th bag they sold. Went to the LCS yesterday, and their bin of wheat cents was unusually full this time around. Poking through, I started noticing things: first a 1913-S, then a 1926-S, then a 1911-S. I buy them all again, and after running everything through the counter, it came out to around 800 coins. I paid about $24 for the overflowing bag of wheats - $0.03 each.

After getting home, I break the bag open and start looking through. After pulling out quite a few early mintmarked coins, I see a woodgrained reverse and think it's going to be another coin from the teens or twenties. I flip it over and see 1909 with an S underneath. "A tough hole filled for almost free", I think, and then I flip it over again and see the VDB. I was in disbelief. Grabbed my loupe, dot was right halfway between the D and B. Mintmark is position #4. I set it aside and kept looking through.

A rundown of what else was in there:
1909 no VDB x3
1910-S (Dansco hole filled)
1911-S (replaces Dansco coin)
1912-D x2 (replaces piece of crap in Dansco)
1912-S (I’ll probably sell this one)
1913-D x2
1913-S (replaces POC in Dansco)
1915-D
1916-D x2
1916-S
1917-D x6
1917-S x3
1918-D x2
1918-S x2
1919-D x3
1919-S x3
1920-D x2
1920-S
1921-S x2 (one of them nice)
1923-S
1924-S
1925-D x2 (Dansco upgrade)
1925-S x2
1926-D x4
1926-S (probably will sell)
1927-D x2
1927-S
1928-D x2
1928-S x3
1929-D x4
1929-S x5
1932-D x2

Some pictures of the semi keys:

I keep searching until I'm down to the last little pile of cents to look through. Kept turning over the reverses, and after looking at a lot of common 1930s-1950s coins, this is one of the very last coins:

Only four coins remain in my Lincoln Cent set: 1909-S, 1914-D, 1922-D, and 1924-D. This is one of those hunts that I don't think I'm ever going to top. Maybe one day...

WCC

I have never seen a 31-S that circulated. Seems like it's an unusual find, more than the others.

bearcave

That is quite the find!!

Namvet69

Congrats on your perseverance. Nice finds for sure. Peace Roy

jdimmick

I been buying wheats over the counter for years, never found much of anything. Only time I get any better dates is when they possibly come in partial sets in the blue folders and such. However, last week, one of my silver buyers comes in and hands me a bag of about 200 wheats he got when he bought a small mixed deal from a pawn across across town, and low and behold a 31-s was in there. graded about f+

Treashunt

Amazing results!

thebeav

Unheard of !
Good for you !

Meltdown

The thrill of the hunt! Congrats. I did the same thing with a bunch of buffalo nickels a short while back.
I bought about 700 that had been piling up at my local shop and was able to fill a bunch of album holes as well as found a few 2 feather varieties...

ricko

Wow... great finds.... I have seen bulk wheat cents for sale, usually considered they were picked over. I guess not all. I have a couple of gallons of wheaties accumulated over many years from change....I keep promising myself I will go through them...some cold, snowy, winter day. Cheers, RickO