My Early Wheats
1909-S V.D.B.

Owner Comments:

The very first certified coin that I ever purchased, this coin was bought off a local coin shop bid board in 2000. A very pleasing example with nice even color and clean surfaces. There is an interesting story behind the initials "VDB" that are placed on the rev of this coin. Mint Engraver Charles Barber changed the name to the artist's three initials VDB; on the original design Mr. Brenner had placed his full name at the bottom of the reverse. Once the coins were issued, some reporters felt that the placement of the initials were much to conspicuous and that the initials amounted to free, illegal advertising for the designer. Rather than placing the initials elsewhere in new dies, mint employees simply removed them entirely from the coin, and a new round of cents were produced without the VDB. However before this change the San Francisco Mint had already struck 484,000 coins. Those coins became an instant rarity and are to this day highly sought after by collectors. This example is housed in a 1st generation PCGS rattler holder and sports a CAC green bean.