Which 1909 Lincoln Cent would you buy?

I can buy either one of these (or maybe even both if the budget allows), and they are about the same price. Which would you prefer?

 

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2nd one looks higher grade

 

I prefer the first as the second seems to have rim chatter on the reverse. May just picture or nothing at all but the first looks real nice to me.

 

okay in my domestic opinion i believe #2 might have been cleaned in the past , an probably grade still , although it might be the lighting on it.. the first one although toned it might grade lower the toning is a nice addition.. so if you can afford i mean they should be about 20 $ each i have waste more on less thought full items .. buy both love them have fun

 

I don't like the spots on the reverse of the second specimen. I'm perfectly fine with the toning on the first one.

Chris

 

Go for the toner.

 

I like the toning on the first one,
it looks like they both have been fingerprinted.

 

#2

 

I prefer the first one - nice toning!

 

Both are nice but the second has stronger details, especially the hair. It would probably grade higher than the first.

 

I was in a similar situation. I was in a general store in the middle of nowhere. Near the cash register where they sell the usual nonsense were five circulated 1909 cent coins in 2x2s for sale. I too could not decide so I bought all five for a very low cost. The point is, to avoid any regrets for probable low cost coins, buy both if you can afford to.

 

The first one is currently on my watch list. I haven't pulled the trigger on it, because of the fingerprint on the reverse. The price is right and if you like it, I say go for it.

 

Top one has fingerprints. Bottom one, a few specks. bottom the better of the 2

 

I consider waiting for another coin. As others have said - #1 has more eye appeal except for the fingerprint & #2 does not seem to have a strong detail or enough contrast to highlight the coin. There are plenty of nice 1909-p and 1909-p vdb to choose from.

 

I didn't notice the fingerprints before I posted it. For some reason, I thought it was a pattern caused by toning through fabric. I may go for the second one. But, depending on how this weekend goes, I might get both and see which I like better in hand (or even keep both).

 

Looking at it over again, it could be what you thought it was. The pattern looks like a fingerprint to me, but it could just be a pattern in the toning that resembles a fingerprint. Looking at one of the "ridges of the fingerprint" it extends from the crossbar of the T in CENT all the way down to the wheat stalk in a straight line. Fingerprints would not be straight like that, they are curved. So there is a good chance that it's not a fingerprint and just looks that way.

 

I'd buy both, but that's just me.

 

#2 all day long and twice on Sunday.

I have seen cents come out of a dip in #1's purple hue. I like the original color of #2.