Why was the VDB removed from the reverse of the cent in 1909?

fivecents

I have heard several reasons why the US mint removed the Victor's initials.

kryptonitecomics

His initials were never autherized. He added them to the original design after approval so once the Mint caught it they ordered it removed.

All coin designs have to be submitted for approval and once that is complete no modifications can be made without congressional approval I believe.

TAClough

If I remember what I read a long time ago, someone complainted that the initials were to prominent on the coin and they felt that an individual shouldn't have credit like that. Years later, the initials were put back but under the shoulder of Lincoln.

Tim

Marc88

Actually, I believe Brenner wasn't even a Mint 'employee', but was more of a sub-contractor. People flipped when his intials appeared and considered it "advertising" and complained enough to get it removed.

But I could be wrong.

joeyuk

pcgs link confirms what has been said.

carl

thanks for the reference to the PCGS link. I printed it out and what a suprise that it was 10 pages long. Great reading though.

Whitby

Excellent read

joeyuk

Google is

Tootawl

Wasn't there a feud or some type of disagreement with Victor and someone in power at the US Mint? One of the rumors I heard was that the removal of his initials was a payback from this person in power (can't remember who it was).

BuffaloIronTail

It seemed that the initials were too "prominent". Charles Barber, Chief Engraver at the Philadelphia Mint was instructed to remove them, move them, or at least to truncate them.

It would do no good to truncate, or make the initials into a "B". The reason?

Charles Barber himself used a "B" on his designs.

Mr. Barber then went on to explain to Mint officials that there was no suitable place on the coin to move the initials.........then he went and abraided them off the Master Hub like he was told.

His solution not to relocate the initials lasted till 1918, when upon his death, George Morgan (the Silver Dollar guy) engraved them inconspicuously under Lincoln's shoulder.

Why wait till Barbers death?

One may make any number of guesses.............

Pete

joeyuk

It was Barber and this is supported by the fact the initials
returned shortly after Barbers death.

This is from Breens so take it with a grain of salt although
the dates and circumstances work.

Bailey1977

Wow I didn't know all of this stuff.

Conder101

The original reverse design had Brenners full last name on the reverse and the mint ordered it changed to just his initials before production began.

fivecents

Interesting info.

I have heard several times that the public didn't like seeing the letters "VD" in VDB on the coin. It sounded like a certain STD. I guess that is just another urban legend.

Conder101

I doubt if the removal of the initials was the result of any public commentary. The time from when the coins were released until when the initials were removed wasn't long enough for any serious objection to grow to the point that the government would feel obliged to act and make the change. The objection to the initials most likely came from within the mint. Like the supposed "public outcry" against the type I standing liberty quarter, the public objection to the initials s probably a myth.