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CollecTons Keepers #43: 1909 VDB Lincoln Wheat Cent Certified in Exclusive ANACS Circulated Holder

Item # IT071197
Our price $ 15.99
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We are excited to release the forty third coin in the CollecTons Keepers program, an exclusive series only offered by CollecTons. CollecTons Keeper #43 in the Series features the 1909 VDB Lincoln Wheat Cent, Certified in an Exclusive ANACS Circulated Holder.

What makes this coin a Coin Worth Keeping?

Mint sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens was hired to create new designs for the cent and four gold coins in 1905. Two of his designs for the cent were adapted for the gold coins but he died in August of 1907 prior to creating additional designs for the cent. The U.S. Mint hired Victor David Brenner in January of 1909 to create the new cent design. It was meant to celebrate the centennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth year. His design was eventually approved and premiered in August of 1909. The coin garnered much public interest. Prior to the Lincoln cent, no circulating coin had ever depicted an actual person. President Roosevelt personally selected Brenner as the coin designer, though the particulars on how this happened are unknown.

Brenner's design is similar to a profile of Lincoln he had used in previous work. He submitted several models to the Mint in January of 1909. The models were rejected and Brenner worked quickly on new designs. These designs were submitted in February of 1909 and are similar to what the Lincoln Wheat Cent would become, though with a larger bust of Lincoln and the words "In God We Trust" omitted. Eventually Brenner dropped the bust of Lincoln lower on the coin to make room for the motto. Both versions of the coin were presented to President Taft and Taft selected the coin with the motto. This version was formally approved by the Secretary of the Treasury on July 14, 1909.

The coin was offically released on August 2, 1909. The Mint had not released any images of the new Lincoln Cent and the energy sparked by Lincoln's centennial had yet to die down. Long lines formed outside of treasury and mint facilities across the United States and the Mint soon had to begin rationing the coins.

Brenner had placed his initials at the base of the reverse. This quickly became a controversy. Just hours after the release, the Washington Star released an article claiming that the coins were illegal because the initials constituted advertising. Three days after the initial release, minting of the coins was ceased. The initals were removed from the design and minting was reinitiated on August 12, 1909.

Coin Specifications

  • Year: 1909
  • Mint: Philadelphia
  • Finish: Circulated
  • Mintage: 27,995,000
  • Composition: 0.950 Copper, 0.050 Tin & Zinc
  • Weight: 3.110 grams
  • Diameter: 19 mm
  • Edge: Plain

What makes the CollecTons Keepers program special? Here at CollecTons, we work hard researching coins that should be part of every collection. Our goal is to utilize our knowledge in the numismatic industry to select coins worthy of being in everyone's collection! Therefore, the CollecTons Keepers program will only feature those Coins Worth Keeping.

Each coin is hand selected and given to ANACS (America's Oldest Grading Service) for grading and authentication. The coins are then sealed in an ANACs certified proprietary slab holder for long-term storage, with our limited edition label marking it a CollecTons Keeper. Collect one or collect the entire series!


At a glance
Year: 
1909
Denomination: 
Cent (1C)
Certification: 
ANACS
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