151. 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent
Creator: US Mint
Original Price: $0.01*
Today's Value: $6,600*
The 1909-S VDB 1C, designed by Victor David Brenner for the United States Mint, is one of the most sought after and collectible wheat cents of its kind. The coin, which is made from 95% of copper (the same amount as today, in fact), set an auction record when it sold at Heritage for US $6,600.
The penny had 484,000 units produced. One of the reasons for the coin's high price is its rarity. Another reason is the crazy story behind it. The engraver, Brenner, put his initials on the penny. Newspapers at the time raised questions, stating that the initials were too large and represented a type of illegal free publicity for Brenner. The scandal led to the removal of initials from the coin by the United States Mints. Wheat coins with VDB are still on sale.
