1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent
- Maker
- U.S. Mint (San Francisco)
- Year
- 1909
- Rank
- 35 of 100
1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent
1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent by U.S. Mint (San Francisco) (1909) is ranked 35 in the FLOAT 100 for Coins. It sold for $5,880. The most famous key date in all of U.S. coin collecting — the cent that launched generations of collectors.
What is it, and why is it in the FLOAT 100?
The most famous key date in all of U.S. coin collecting — the cent that launched generations of collectors.
1c bronze, Lincoln Wheat, S mintmark with VDB initials, PCGS MS65 Red
What is the best-sourced number for it?
- Figure
- $5,880
- Kind
- Realized at auction
Stack's Bowers — PCGS MS65 RD realized $5,880. AU58 examples trade ~$700-2,800 depending on CAC status (per Jan 2026 Heritage results). Mintage 484,000.
This is a realized sale. Somebody paid it. Source.
How this is made
- The figure
- One reference price, taken from a named public source and shown with its own kind. FLOAT does not average it with anything or adjust it for time.
- Realized or not
- A realized price is a completed sale. A market asking price and a price-guide value are not sales, and are labeled as such wherever they appear.
- Why no grade ladder
- Most FLOAT 100 entries are individual objects. There is one of this, so there is no population and no spread across grades to show.
- Archive
- 2026-08-08