http://cgi.ebay.com/1909-S-VDB-U-S-...QQ_trkparmsZalgo=MW&its=C&itu=UCC&otn=5&ps=63 I dunno. it just doesn't look right.
It looks fine to me. The VDB is corrected (slanted bottom of the D and upper loope of the B). I am not sure about the S but it looks right to me.
Just what do you think is funny? All the markers I know of are good. The wheats are sharp, the "S" is die #1, the "N" is raised, and the VDB looks good. Did I miss something?
I think (thought) that the area around the mint mark looks to be a different color. The crud looks to be a different color than that surrounding the 1909. I don't know the markers as in depth as you do, rlms, so I didn't make a statement one way or the other. If you say the diagnostics are right for an S VDB, then I believe that you know your stuff and it's an S VDB. BTW - I didn't say that I suspected it was counterfeit, I just said that the area around the mint mark looks a bit funny.
I am sorry if I came across too strong. I meant it just as stated. If you saw something funny, speak up. That certainly is not the best pic I have seen, but then it is eBay. However, if you saw something out of place, I wanted to know.
21 bidders think it's OK so far. There is a haze or something around the S but could be the angle the photo was shot at. I wonder if anyone has asked www.coppercoins.com about this one. I think in his book he has a lot of info on faked ones. The thing to do is buy it and try prying off the S. If it comes off, it was a fake.
It looks good, and the surfaces look original. I'm just saying that I'm not ready to risk $1000+ based on an image AND no authentication.
Hopefully not if, but when I manage to get one, mine will also be slabbed, but I can still give my best guess if asked. BTW, it is just a guess particularly from a picture.
ok. The mintmark, to me, strongly resembled photos of fakes i've seen in that the s is shorter and fatter than those I've seen confirmed to be authentic. Actually, it looks (to me) a lot like the fake mintmark in the link supplied by rlm to a past thread. I've never considered buying one raw, and really was just curious as both the 09 s vdb and ebay can be dubious. I was unaware of the various confirmed mintmark types, and need to study more. Thanks for the lesson guys!
A minor correction in yopu comments. There was only one "S" mintmark used. However, it was used on 4 different dies in 4 different positions. It was used through 1916. See http://lincolncentresource.com/San_Fransisco_Mintmark_Styles.html. FWIW, that is the same MM used for all coinage. If you can see it (I could not) there should be a chip just behind the upper serif. You can just make it out on the real one on my link. Do not forget as things wear (both coins and dies) MM's, dates, etc. tend to get fatter and less sharp.
