Discovery! 1909-S VDB HUGE PICS

Discovery! 1909-S VDB New pics

Okay, my pics are bad, so I didn't reduce them at all so you can see some detail if you enlarge them.

Going through my late great-grandfather's coins, came across a stapled 2x2 (a torn, ugly 2x2 no less) labeled 1909 VDBS. Here's what we've got:


more pics:
http://www.ideasite.net/coins/vdb2.jpg
http://www.ideasite.net/coins/vdb3.jpg
http://www.ideasite.net/coins/vdb4.jpg

There are some two deep scratches just above the VDB that run radial to the coin. Otherwise, I think this is borderline VF-20.

Can/should this be slabbed or would the scratches qualify as too much damage?

 

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I have seen them grade poor coins as In nearly no detail.

 

Nice pick up!!

 

very nice find. I'd need clearer pics to grade more accurately but a grade of F-12 or finer would be attainable.

 

I cannot make out enough of the VDB to say it is real, but I cannot pick up anything to tell me is is fake. I guess that translates to a possible.

As for teh grade, I am pretty sure it would not go VF. Again, I cannot see enough detail to say for sure, but wiping some of that dust off would make it a lot easier. My guess, assuming the wheats are all there, would be F-12.

 

Sweet find! I keep hoping to find something cool like that in what my Dad left me.

 

Going back to look, the wheats are actually all there. Lincoln's jaw and cheekbone are distinct. I'll play tomorrow and try to get better pics. I think the dust in the early pictures is on the magnifying glass (ugh).

I think the obverse may have been polished long ago. The color seems a little odd.

 

post pics specifically of the VDB and the S mint mark

 

Troublesome tilt....



...or might just be photo angle???

 

nss - good question... I'm looking for my other camera and I'll try to take better photos of the mint mark and the VDB tonight.

 

New Pics

big pics showing a closeup of the mintmark:

http://www.ideasite.net/coins/2vdb5.jpg
http://www.ideasite.net/coins/2vdb6.jpg

The reverse with VDB visible:



Closeup:
http://www.ideasite.net/coins/2vdb4.jpg

The obverse:

 

From what I can make out;

• 
  The VDB makes me suspicious. You need a picture straight on for me to tell for sure.

• 
  The "S" appears to have been damaged, so it is hard to say for sure, but it also looks suspicious. The serifs should be parallel with each other and I doubt yours are.

• 
  The "S" appears to be parallel to the date, virtually even with the tails of the nines, and nearly directly under the "0". Only #4 is parallel, and under the "0", but it is significantly below the nines' tails. I am pretty sure this means it is a fake. Sorry!

 

rlm - The VDB is very faint which is why the photos I have so far are at odd angles. I agree with you that the serifs on the S appear non-parallel, but the photos are actually clearer than I can see through my magnifying lens.

Thanks for the critiques, I'd rather find out now than at a dealer's counter.

I'll mess around with photos of the VDB more later on.

 

Looks real to me... I don't see any visible evidence of counterfeiting. The date looks spot on to what I would expect, and the coin appears to have F-12 details.

I would send this in and see what you get back. It reminds me of this die variety:
http://i6.tinypic.com/6s68u2x.jpg
I think the blurriness of the pictures is a problem though, I'd have to see it in my hand to really look at it. The 'S' almost looks as big as the 0, which it shouldn't be. The VDB is in the right spot and doesn't look too suspicious to me.

If it's a counterfeit I think its a pretty good one. I personally expect fewer counterfeit F-12 coins than better grades, but you really never know.

 

There is nothing at all wrong with finding out at the dealers counter. Most are honest and willing to help.

 

True, but I won't have to use my candid-camera-shocked-sad face.

I've actually been very happy (and pleasantly surprised) with the dealers I've been working with the last few months. There's one fellow we call the "Coin Nazi," but the rest of them are very patient, seem very honest, and there's been no pressure on either side to make a deal or accept an offer.

 

Sorry to say, just based on a quickie look, I am in the not genuine crowd, but I will be more specific. It is an added S to a genuine VDB. Better pics would help, but like I said, it's so far a no brainer NON genuine SVDB. Sorry.

 

No need to be sorry. It's all part of the adventure. As grandma said this weekend, "two days ago I didn't even know I had it." I'll take it around to a couple of folks this weekend so they can look at it in person and see what's up. I'll keep you all updated (and post new pics if my photo skills improve).

 

i like the way you put that..."all part of the adventure"

i recently inheritaded my grandfathers collection and i've been going through it as well.

nice find, look forward to hear what you find out about it.

 

If the pics were any better, I'd tend to be in the very small minority with Arizona Jack. Though, even if it gets a 'genuine' from PCGS (or net graded NGC, or 'authentic' at NCS), at the very least you need to know if it is, indeed, genuine. I do hope I'm wrong, especially where it was your great-grand fathers.