Wanna see the rarest Lincoln cent IMO? The 1922 no D cent is a tough coin in high grade. Click this link: http://www.davidlawrence.com/inventory/viewitem.cfm/inventory/311696/inm/1922-No-D-PCGS-Secure-MS62-BN-(Strong-Reverse)/snm/Lincoln-Cents/gnm/Small-Cents/lotid/824336/utm_source/MailingList/utm_medium/email/utm_campaign/DLRC+Auction+498+Ends+Tonight#largeImageanc This coin was only made by one die pair & that die pair was damaged from the get-go. The business strikes were placed into circulation and it was years later before they began getting pulled from circulation & preserved by collectors. I’ve got a decent set of Lincolns in AU to MS. I assembled it from roll searching and upgraded the tougher coins over the years. The only coin I am missing is the 1909-S VDB. I won’t buy the S-VDB out of principle because it is a common rarity. At a large show you will find hundreds of them available for purchase (often at obscene prices). The 1922 no D on the other hand is very seldom seen in any grade above VF. At one show, I did find three that were in AU but they were the only three on the floor & it was a very big show. I’d kind of like to hear what you real Lincoln cent aficionados have to say about this coin for sale.
I am new to the hobby but when I look at that coin I don't see how it earned a grade of 62. I guess we will see how many bidders end up fighting over it. on another note- I guess I need to go to a large coin show, haven't had that experience yet.
I can relate to you with the 1909S because I am waiting on the 1916D dime because they too are everywhere
They are everywhere but they are all AG to VG. The 1916-D in Fine to EF is on every dealer's want list. Here is a link to the one I bought: http://www.cointalk.com/t101697/
My first take was that it was undergraded, but after further review, I think they got it right. However, DLRC has their price a bit steep. Heritage just sold one for $15,000. On the other hand, you don't see them that often. Either price, that is a lot of money for 1¢. BTW, that is far from the rarest Lincoln out there. Try the 1943 coppers, 1944 steels, 1958D/D, 1969-S D/D, etc.
I'm with you on that. My no date off center Lincoln cent (worth 99 cents retail) is unique and therefore also much more rare than the 1922 no D. The 1969-S doubled die is an awesome coin. I've personally only seen one.
The 1958 DDO is considered king of the Lincolns but the 1909 VDB Matte PF is more or less the number one of the very few true rarities in the series that can be obtained for a price. If you found 3 of something at a show it isn't that rare in an absolute sense.
I have always felt the same as you about the s vdb. I always thought it was a little artificially inflated. I like the 22 plain, though I consider it an error coin and not a true mintage. Its an example of if a coin gets enough PR then they make a hole for it, like the 55 DD. My favorite lincoln was the 14d, a tough coin overshadowed by his "holiness" the s vdb. I agree though that if you consider the 22 plain a mintage, it is by far the toughest to find, (with a hole for it) especially a nice one since by definition they were deficient dies.
There is nothing artificial about the prices of the 1909-S VDB... sure they are seen at pretty much every show in quantity. But it is a coin that is bought and sold in quantity at pretty much every show too. Just about every collector wants one of them at some point in their collecting and some want more than one. Supply and demand is working on this one and the market prices are probably more fair on the 1909-S VDB where there are trades daily to observe vs. the more rare Lincolns like some of the matte proofs or the ultra rare doubled dies that just don't trade that often.
the only coin i need to complete my lincoln collection is the 1922 no D. it is so hard to find a problem free coin, that i can afford. no way i can spend the 10+ grand on an ms coin. at this point best i could do is an xf. i still debate on pulling the trigger because my key dates are MS. i need to send my s-vdb in, i have showed it to around 10 different places, lowest i heard is 63, the best is 66. in a perfect world it comes back 67-68 and i can get a '22 no D to match!
