A while back I bought a couple 1909s...one 1909 (Plain), and 1909 VDB. At the time, each was graded BU by the dealer I bought it from. Now, I'm wondering what the exact grade (AU58#-MS6#) might be as well as how much each is worth (approx.). Apparently I can only upload a max of 5 pictures per post so the VDB pictures are on the next post. Oh, and before you ask, no I did not screw around with photoshop or whatever the heck with those lighting altering things. The only thing I did was scribble out the address at the bottom of the third picture (as well as one of the bottoms of the VDB pics) for privacy reasons. Taking a clear pic was super hard so I took a couple in the sunlight (first two) and then indoors with flash, which is why the background appears to be blue tinted. Anyways, here's the pics:
*By the way, what appears to be a scratch on the first two pics of the VDB cent is really just a scratch on the plastic layer protecting the actual penny on the 2x2. Thanks in advance!
Nice pair of coins! Both look to be around MS-64, the VDB looks RB, the plain looks red. BU is not a grade, just a statement of condition, i.e. "Brilliant Uncirculated". A VDB like that typically sells in the $60-70 area and the plain goes for about $30.....sometimes higher because they're actually harder to find than the VDB's in that condition.
Thanks for the response! I know BU is not a specific grade, it's just the grade the specific dealer gave it when I bought it from him. Would you consider the VDB to have attractive (i.e.: desirable) toning which would command the specific high price you estimated?
I don't mean to jump in front of BadThad with a post, but I don't see any toning, attractive or otherwise. Did you mean Patina? Thats expected on any older coin as a natural part of aging.
Whoops, I might have meant that. I don't quite know the difference between the two...I always thought that they were the same. In my mind, color = toning
