Both are first year coins and generally saved. However the "rare" cent is always available and many mintstate examples exist, very easy coin in like MS-65 R/B...at a show or online, probably non-existant in AG-3 ? now the rare dime is often found in AG-3 What's up with that ? Did people of the era get wind of of the 09s-VDB, but not the dime just 7 years later ?
the 09 s VDB was the first lincoln cent produced. look at the 1883 no cent v nickel for example... in 1916 in the midwest people were more worried about spending the dimes, and nobody really thought about saving them. and thats why they are soo hard to find in higher grades. cody
The Lincoln design was started as a commemorative (100th birthday) and thus I suspect got more promotion. The Mercury dime was just a design change and was part of a three coin change (quarters and halves also). Sort of dampened the new design impact. Plus it cost more to save a dime than a cent.
A dime was probably real money back then. Probably equal to $5 or $10 in today's spending power, or more due to the War going on. It might have been more important to have food in the cupboard than extra dimes? That may explain why they were not hoarded.
The Lincoln cent debuted on August 2, 1909. The various facilities where the new coins were being offered--the Philadelphia and San Francisco mints, the Sub-Treasury buildings in Chicago, Boston, New York, and St. Louis), banks, and the Treasury building in Washington, D.C.--saw long lines of collectors and ordinary citizens eager to acquire examples of the new cents. The new coins featured the initials of the designer, Victor D. Brenner, in small letters on the reverse. When coinage of the VDB cents was halted a mere two days later, a public furor ensued. Carl R. Herkowitz writes in the article "The 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent: A Tribute" from the November 1995 The Numismatist: "In a swift departure from the past, the 1909-S VDB, more than any other coin or contributing factor, attracted the attention of the larger populace, and in so doing, made coin collecting a public pastime rather than an avocation for just a few. The S-VDB set the hobby's course for the 20th century, increasing multifold the ranks of enthusiasts and leading to the enjoyment we know today." In contrast, the 1916-D dime largely slipped into circulation unnoticed. The entire mintage of 264,000 coins was released in November 1916, then dime coinage was halted for a sudden, urgent demand for quarters. As David Lange writes in his Mercury dime reference, "Before dime coinage could resume, the 1917 dies were on hand and a new year had begun." Lange points out that the small number of Mint State survivors of the 1916-D were due to the new design being saved in greater quantities (although most of them were 1916-Ps), "thus the 1916-D ... was spared from the otherwise certain fate of being uncollectably rare in this condition." Again, the 1909-S VDB was a notorious low-mintage issue at the time of its release. One man had 500 Uncirculated rolls of 1909-S VDBs that he sold in 1918 for 1-3/4c each. The 1909-S VDB in Mint State is the key to the Lincoln cent set, but its high price is due to high demand, not high rarity.
I believe the '16-D Merc Dime is scarcer than the 09-S VDB Cent. If I had a choice between the two, it'd be the Merc. However, the thing with these famous and valuable key dates is the demand, that is what brings in the higher prices (and because they are rare too). But I think it's mostly the demand. There's plenty of coins out there that are scarcer but cheaper than both of the mentioned coins. Like Matte Proof Lincoln Cents, in my experience they are MUCH MUCH scarcer than the 16-D Merc and 09-S VDB. You can go to a coin show and find 10 examples of each coin, while maybe 1 or 2 Matte Proof Cents. But, that doesn't deter me from going for one of those coins.....I'd love to have an 09-S VDB. Edit: Also, the 09-S VDB is an easy coin in Mint State, the key date to the series in Mint State is the 1914-D Cent. Go to E Bay and you'll see 5 09-S VDB Cents in MS-65. At the same time, you'll see maybe 1 '14-D Cent.
The "key" status actually depends on exactly which grade and service (or raw) that you are talking about. For PCGS in Gem Red condition, the 1926-S is the undisputed key, pop 1 coin that sells/sold for way up into the six figures on its last couple of trades. Last time I looked the SVDB in Gem Red was actually the commonest mintmarked Lincoln before 1930. But you are right, it is demand not just supply. Everybody wants one. Got any? And yes, the 1914-D is far tougher. Best Regards, George
Thank you Log Potato. And I would be the last, given our company name, to cast aspersions on the 1909-S VDB. The demand for the coin is just incessant, in any grade, and we have sold many over the years. But it is in demand for its unusual characteristics -- withdrawn design; one-year type; low-mintage, high-survival issue; and key to the set -- rather than strictly a low supply. Another similar issue is the 1937-D Three-Legged Buffalo; there are many, many of these around, but they are almost of urban legend fame, known even among noncollectors, like the S VDB. And everybody wants one who collects the series. Happy Collecting! Best Regards, George
