1909-S VDB ~ Does it look authentic to you?

asheland

This belongs to a friend:
Unfortunately, this is the best I can do, shooting through a loupe:

robec

Looks pretty good, at least for the reverse. The S placement looks like placement #4.

Does the S have a little ball shaped piece of metal in the top loop?

Edited: After looking again, the mint mark looks to be too far right. I don’t think it is authentic. Could be the the angle of the coin’s orientation that makes it look too far right.

coinbuf

Looks like a legit position #4 die struck coin to me.

Typekat

Looks good, MM is right, and the ‘woodgrain’ planchet is common for SF cents at the time.

Gotta say, that’s quite a rim problem showing on the obverse and reverse. what the heck…..?.

MsMorrisine

no need to shoot it through a loupe except to zoom on the VDB

CaptHenway

Probably genuine, but the broad rims in places sort of look like damage.

Smudge

Being genuine doesn’t matter as much if it won’t straight grade.

coinbuf

@Smudge said:
Being genuine doesn’t matter as much if it won’t straight grade.

So are you saying a damaged counterfeit is worth more than a damaged genuine SVDB? I would not have guessed that. I think a genuine coin will still have value in a details holder.

Smudge

@coinbuf said:

@Smudge said:
Being genuine doesn’t matter as much if it won’t straight grade.

So are you saying a damaged counterfeit is worth more than a damaged genuine SVDB? I would not have guessed that. I think a genuine coin will still have value in a details holder.

Just not as much.

MsMorrisine

a damaged genuine s-vdb won't find it's way into the 1000 wheats for 30 bag

Typekat

@Smudge said:
Being genuine doesn’t matter as much if it won’t straight grade.

Genuine in a details holder is worth several hundred dollars, versus nothing it’s bogus.

asheland

@coinbuf said:
Looks like a legit position #4 die struck coin to me.

Seeing that, I agree it looks like number four…

I will note I couldn’t get it to capture in the photo, but on the reverse, the woodgrain went right through the VDB, which to me looked very very good. 👍

Thanks everybody for your help!

john_nyc1

Can’t speak to damage but I recently sold a PCGS genuine cleaned details UNC 1909 s vdb for $1,500.