Oldest Wheat Cent you've found in circulation

What does VDB mean?

 

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Victor David Brenner, the designer of the coin. His initials were on the reverse but we're removed. In 1918 the initials were placed on the obverse under Lincoln's shoulder. A limited quantity of the coins with his initials on the reverse in 1909 are in short supply today.

The Lincoln, Wheat Ears Reverse were designed to commemorate the 100th birth of Abraham Lincoln. The was also the first cent to have the "IN GOD WE TRUST" motto.

 

Here are some comments about that from another site:

His initials were never authorized. He added them to the original design after approval so once the Mint caught it they ordered it removed.

The initials were too prominent on the coin and they felt that an individual shouldn't have credit like that.

I believe Brenner wasn't even a Mint 'employee', but was more of a sub-contractor. People flipped when his initials appeared and considered it "advertising" and complained enough to get it removed.

It seemed that the initials were too "prominent". Charles Barber, Chief Engraver at the Philadelphia Mint was instructed to remove them, move them, or at least to truncate them.
His solution not to relocate the initials lasted till 1918, when upon his death, George Morgan (the Silver Dollar guy) engraved them inconspicuously under Lincoln's shoulder.

 

Definitely 1910. Maybe 1909

 

Thanks so much, you taught me so many facts. Thanks

 

Thanks, Michael, keep the facts coming!

 

You're welcome.

 

The oldest wheat cent I found was an 1918 s i got in change about 3 months ago

 

1910 and 1921

 

Not a wheat cent but I did once find a Indian head cent working at Hannaford. I don't remember the exact date but it was 1890s

 

Oldest I've found is a 1909.
I started collecting in the early 1970s.

 

I do have an Indian head penny from 1903, I think. It's in really bad shape. It's a shame that you're not supposed to clean them cause I'd like to get a better look.

 

My oldest wheat penny is 1923.

 

My oldest is 1909 but I don't think it came out of circulation. I have thousands of them so am not sure which is the oldest I personally found in circulation.

 

Back in 1955 when I started collecting I had a paper route.
A weekly subscription was something in the area of 25¢.
I know I picked up two dated 1909 and two dated 1909 VDB.
I was in California but never got a 1909 S nor a 1909 SVDB.

 

Me too. Not the 1948 part, but I'm old enough to have seen the occasional IHC or LHN or gold certificate in circulation when I was a little kid. Oldest wheaties I remember were dated in the early teens.

Cal

 

1909. But that was over 50 years ago.

 

Love your Avatar

 

Here’s a 1859. Got it in change. I don’t remember where. I think it has been cleaned. I don’t no if it’s worth anything either

 

Looks like the Indian was at the Little Bighorn.