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Proof VDB most "Diagnostically Resplendent" (Big Pics)

All this talk about the Heritage VDB got me looking at mine last week. Sometimes it's all about the small things. Of the 5 proof 1909's I've personally studied, the VDB remains the most diagnostically fascinating. While most (not all) of the obverse die lines are identifiable on the non-VDB proofs, they just seem to "pop" on the VDB. I love the area behind Lincoln's head. Those two radial lines are almost bold enough to compare with the "main diagnostics". If you look closely, it's just crazy in there, like a epileptic spider's web.

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Comments

  • robecrobec Posts: 6,581 ✭✭✭✭✭
    There is also a die scratch going from Lincoln's shoulder towards the R in Liberty. I haven't seen this listed in the diagnostics, but it appears on yours, mine and also on my 1909 no VDB.

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    VDB with die scratch above shoulder

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    1909 MPL with die scratch above shoulder

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  • renomedphysrenomedphys Posts: 3,489 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Bob,

    Your VDB is another great example of how much more diagnostically relevant the VDB is over the non-VDB version. See how much easier it is to locate the small polish lines on your VDB than on the plain 1909. I'm really quite intrigued by the smaller, more vertically inclined lines, especially the two or three that extend from the main polish line upward and into the space between "RT" in LIBERTY. I can barely make those two out in my photo below, but I tell you that in hand they shine.

    Also, if I understand what you said, the die line from the shoulder to the R in LIBERTY is one of the "big three" that most poeple use to authenticate 1909 proofs, with the third being specific to the VDB.

    Anyway, here's a blowup of the shoulder area on my VDB:

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  • SteveSteve Posts: 3,313 ✭✭✭
    Matt, Bob & others,
    Perhaps the reason the 1909VDB MPL diagnostics are so much more "on display" than the 1909 non VDB MPL is because there was only ONE obverse die and ONE reverse die used in striking 1,503 of this coin on July 30, 1909. When production resumed on August 16th for proof cents the obverse die was still used and of course a new reverse die was started without the VDB. Between then and the end of the year, two other obverse dies and one other reverse die was used on the 1909 non VDB MPL. Steveimage
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