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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Insider, post: 2820227, member: 24314&quot;]This can be answered very simply:</p><p><br /></p><p>1. Before the late 1960&#039;s there probably was not much known about the mint mark positions on key date coins such as this. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie3" alt=":(" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>2. By 1973, there was. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>3. Sometime after 1975, ANA authenticators in Colorado <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie26" alt=":bookworm:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> searched hundreds of negatives and actual coins to publish a guide to the mint mark positions of several coins including the 1909-S VDB.&nbsp; What you see in the photos provided in the article above (See <i><b>Counterfeit Detection </b>a reprint from the Numismatist Vol. </i>II) only scratches the surface of the diagnostic info TPGS authenticators have for these coins. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie57" alt=":jawdrop:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />&nbsp; Take an authentication class and you&#039;ll see.</p><p><br /></p><p>4. Times change and technology evolves. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> Three decades later it is possible that higher resolution and measurement will confirm that a &quot;fifth or sixth&quot; position exists. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie46" alt=":facepalm:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> Congratulations to the person <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie6" alt=":cool:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie33" alt=":cigar:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> who does!</p><p><br /></p><p>5. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0)">Unfortunately, IMHO <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie11" alt=":rolleyes:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> it will not matter at all! <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie57" alt=":jawdrop:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> That&#039;s because the mint mark positions <b>that folks <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie26" alt=":bookworm:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> are able to resolve using high power stereo microscopes </b>already match up with all the other known diagnostics for each die.&nbsp; <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie85" alt=":smuggrin:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0)"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0)"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">6. Let me play Devil&#039;s advocate: <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie90" alt=":spitoutdummy:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> Therefore, even if there is a micro measurable difference between the &quot;S&#039;s&quot; and due to that these two microscopically different mint marks have been associated with one die in error, <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie10" alt=":oops:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0)">no one is going to see it <b><span style="color: #0000b3">while examining an actual coin</span></b> under high-power magnification</span>. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie9" alt=":eek:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /><img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie12" alt="o_O" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> Furthermore, I&#039;ll bet there is not one professional numismatist who cares! <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie104" alt=":yawn:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0)"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0)"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Good luck and please keep posting your research. Even better [USER=3926]@justafarmer[/USER], why don&#039;t you write a nice article with images of your findings and have it published. </span>&nbsp; </span>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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