Money -> Small-Cents -> Lincoln-Wheat-1909-1958
Probably one of the easiest coins to acquire for a coin collection is the wheat penny. This coin was a United States penny minted from 1909 to 1958. The coin goes by many names, including the Lincoln Wheat Cent and Wheatie, and was worth 1 cent at the time it was minted. While few are worth more than that today, some uncirculated mintings have gone for thousands of dollars at auction.
Most of us who had grandparents or parents who kept pennies in jars have been able to search through those coins and find at least one wheat penny or two. The front of the penny looks indistinguishable, at first glance at least, from the pennies minted today because they still bear the bust of Lincoln on the front (or obverse) side of the coin. The back of course is different, because the two wheat stalks that were on the reverse of the wheat penny were replaced with the Lincoln memorial in 1959.
The change in the reverse design, however, isn’t the only different between the wheat penny and the modern penny. And there are even variations among wheat pennies, depending on the year the penny was minted. Some of the wheat pennies produced in the beginning featured the initials of the sculptor, Victor David Brenner, on the reverse side of the coin below the wheat stalks.
This was a cause of controversy, however, and in 1918 the initials VDB were moved to the front of the coin. You must look very closely at a wheat penny from those early years and you’ll see the tiny initials on the bottom of Lincoln’s bust, below his shoulder. The coins produced before the change was made in California are more valuable than most other types of these pennies, because less than half a million were produced by that mint before the public complained enough about the prominent initial display to have it changed.
These early pennies are called “VDB” cents due to the placement of the initials. If you happen to find a 1909 wheat penny with those initials on the back below the wheat stalks that was minted in San Francisco, California, even if the coin is in poor condition, it could be worth hundreds of dollars. Mint coins with that configuration can go for much, much more. VDB cents minted in Philadelphia hold much less value, because more were produced. The 1914-D coins are also typically quite valuable.
A wheat penny with a minting error can also be valuable, such as the 1922 penny that looks plain because the die was full and couldn’t imprint the coin, and one produced in 1955 which appears minted twice, known as the doubled die coin.
If you can find lots of wheat pennies for very little money, you might enjoy looking for these different variations. Someone without an interest in the wheat penny who puts several up for auction in a lot might not even be aware that they’re selling a gem.
Originally posted 2008-11-17 14:00:16. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
Rare Coins Coins and Paper Money -> Ancient Coins -> Persian, Indian, Asian There is something very special about rare coins. No matter where in the world they came from, they usually have a very rich history and collectors will search to the ends of the earth to find that special rare...... -
Rare Gold Coins money -> Coins-World -> Gold Gold is one of the most popular substances in the world, and rare gold coins are highly sought out by collectors, not just for the precious gold content, but because of the rarity of the coins and the designs themselves. How do you know...... -
Euro Coins Coins & Paper Money -> Coins: World -> Europe Euro coins were first put into circulation in 2002 by the European Union. There are 8 coins: 1, 2 5, 10 and 20 cent coins, as well a the 100 and 200 cent coins, which equal 1 and 2 Euros, respectively....... -
Collecting Uncirculated Coins and Proof Coins The unique thing about coin collections is that there is a myriad of different ways to start a coin collection, and you can collect a wide variety of different coins or a small variety of very special coins depending on your interest. One of the options for coin collecting that...... -
Greek Coins Coins and Paper Money -> Coins - Ancient -> Greek Coins As a link to the ancient world, coins are an incredibly popular way to capture this history. Thanks to the minting process and the metals that were used, we can still enjoy many ancient coins today. Greek coins are......
Related Websites -
Chipping Guide 101 pt 2 ... Continued from part one. Now what you can look at is a variation on this standard chip shot. You can look at it as a sort of hybrid type of golf shot. It is not only part chip, but it also happens to be part putt as well. It...... -
Do Pennies Still Make Cents? A Penny For Your Thoughts... Ah, the penny. The bright, shiny, Abraham Lincoln adorned, copper (cough, zinc) penny. If you haven't already heard, the United States Mint announced four new one-cent coins for 2009. The redesign is in recognition of the bicentennial of President Abraham Lincoln's birth and the 100th anniversary of the first minted...... - Gold cracks $700 Much to the joy of gold bugs everywhere, the yellow metal peeked above $700, a high not seen for a quarter century. The main news that got this bull rolling was that China is substantially increasing its holdings. One thing I've found in perusing coins is that common, small denominations......
- Penny Stocks Investment Many people are interested in them, but often only the slightest idea of how to invest in penny stocks. This term generally interchangeable with Microcap stocks or nano stocks refer to stocks that trade for less than five dollars. A more general definition to refer to the value of a......
-
Most Valuable Regular U.S. Coin Every time I get home, I pull out any change I have and throw it into a small container. As I was pulling out quarters to put in my car, I noticed a nickel that looked different from the one beside it. It was a 1941-P (it actually didn’t have......
