Grade this 1909 S VDB. Cool story behind it. Grade revealed.

Jcarney

BTW, it currently resides in a PCGS holder.

MFH

Looks AU - 50 to me. Nice coin.

More interested in hearing about the story though !!

ArizonaJack

XF-45 all day every day, nice coin might get banged for scratches to a 40 tho

Mercury10c

45, maybe a 50 at NGC or ANACS.

GoldenEyeNumismatics

45

Jcarney

<< <i>XF-45 all day every day, nice coin might get banged for scratches to a 40 tho >>



Actually, there's a tiny, very thin (hairline?) scratch across the head which isn't visible in the pic. It's only noticible at a certain angle and PCGS didn't downgrade it becaise of this scratch. I'll bet they didn't even notice it.

A hint to the story: This coin sat in a box that has been in my possesion since I was a teenager unnoticed. I'm 46 now and "discovered the coin back in 2000. It was previously slabbed by a so-called bottom feeder TPG at a grade lower than PCGS assigned.

cmerlo1

EF-40

SamByrd

xf45 market grade is the norm now so AU50

Unknown

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LincolnCentMan

XF45 Very nice coin.

-David

JZrarities

45

ChrisRx

As much as I hate to agree with the crowd, I'd also say 45

Swampboy

I see I'm in the majority.
Great look for any year cent!!
45

Bochiman

XF45 us what I am thinking from the picture.

joecopper

I would call it XF45

rabbitracks

I'd have to say XF40 as to much wear on the face of Lincoln.
Very nice coin otherwise. Mike.
Someday REAL American HERO's will be on our COINS.

Jcarney

You XF45 guys nailed it.



The story behind the coin:

Back in 2000, about a year after I got back into collecting, I found a box in my attic that I hadn't seen since we moved here in 1992. Inside the box were various darkside coins and a couple hundred wheaties. Since I was collecting wheaties, I started going through them to see if I could upgrade any in my set. No dice, they were mostly crap 1940s and 50s junk. Then I found this coin. I couldn't believe it. I had this box since I was 12-13 or so and I knew I had never bought an 09 S VDB. Where did it come from?

The only thing I can think of is that possibly my grandfather could have salted the box and I never found it. He owned a coin shop in the early 70s. I guess I'll never know, but it's the one coin in my collection that I won't part with.

After finding it, I sent it to PCI (they were still respectable then and conservative with circulated Lincolns). They graded it no problem VF35. I thought that was a bit TOO conservative and cracked it. I sat in my Dansco for a few years until I sent it to PCGS. Personally, I'd grade it XF40.

direwolf1972

Cool story thanks

Swampboy

Neat story.
I'm putting my money on Grandpa.

doh

I think 45 is right on and just about the prettiest chocolate Lincoln I've ever seen. NICE

SNMAN

Nice original wear and tear.

MFH

Great story.

I was a bit generous with my guess as grading standards are a bit softer than when I first started collecting.
XF 45 is nothing to sneeze at either.

seanq

Great coin and story. Now I want to go back and look through the wheat cents I pulled from rolls in my otherwise misspent youth.

I've actually "made" a bunch of Lincolns at PCGS in the VF30-AU50 grade range (mainly registry varieties), so I think I have a decent feel for how they grade lightly circulated cents. Judging by the obverse alone the cheek and jaw have the look of an XF40, however the reverse is very strong and is likely what carried the coin to a the XF45 grade.


Sean Reynolds

DDR

Cool story! And a very nice Lincoln.

ernie11

I want to thank you folks for your input on this one, it helped me out. In January, I bought a 09-S VDB from a long-time dealer who advertises in NN. Graded by the dealer as XF 40 - raw, not PCGS. I received it, but in looking at it with my own exacting grading standards, I felt it might have been overgraded, and graded it a VF 30/35. However, seeing the pic posted here and how you all graded this specimen makes me feel better - mine's almost a dead ringer for this one here, reverse identically strong, obverse virtually the same, very slightly off. If you folks think this is an XF 45, mine must be a XF 40.