Bucket List Coin (1909-S VDB Cent)

I just won a 1909-S VDB on the bay. I've been looking for one for many years and finally got one for a pretty good price. I've attached photos of the obverse and reverse. What are your thoughts? I'm thinking that it is real, F12, and perhaps cleaned.

 

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Hi there,
Congratulation's on your first 1909 S Vdb. It is hard to say being that it is not slabbed, it appears to be real but I would send it into PCGS or NGC to get it certified if I were you. just to be sure. Thanks Noah

 

You'll have to compare the S with the 4 known placements of the S on this coin. (Available in a few threads here.)
This coin may have been cleaned, if the lighting is correct, scrubbed by the VDB. All of the dark areas inside the letters and numbers on the obverse and yet the fields are free of this black color also suggest cleaning.

 

It's tough to say with those images. These may help.

 

Seems very well centered and squared under the 0. If I recall a few of the positions are slanted a bit. Perhaps position #4?

 

Raw *and* from eBay? You're a braver man than I...

 

I'd send it to PCGS, NGC, ANACS, or ICG immediately before your eBay return policy ends. Impossible to tell from your photos if it's fake or not.

 

Send it into to one of these grading services to get it certified. I recommend Pcgs because they are better at there job than ngc
Pcgs- https://www.pcgs.com/
Ngc-https://www.ngccoin.com/

 

This is the kind of coin you should buy slabbed.

 

It looks to me to be the 4 mintmark location and the serifs look parallel. The VDB looks right on the reverse as well as the "N" in United. I agree that it appears to be cleaned. I think that the grime around the S is suggesting the cleaning. I'm unsure about the "woody" appearance on both the obverse and reverse.

 

I do not like slabbed coins.

 

yes but if you want to know if it is real just send it in and get it slabbed and then crack the case to get back out if you are not satisfied

 

Need a close up of the B............VDB.

 

I was looking for that too. I blew the reverse up as much as I could and though blurred it appears right..... OP, can you zoom in on the VDB?

Edit.... To the OP. I too purchased my 09,s VDB unslabbed. Though they are pricey, there are a lot of genuine unslabbed pieces out there. And so far I am not getting any red flags on your cool purchase.

 

Certainly a clearer sharper image would help. Check the diagnostics for Obverse 4.

 

I would not have purchased this coin raw. I suggest you send it back and look for a slabbed one.

 

Me neither.

 

Going back to post #16.
Are you saying the S does not match and someone added an S to a 1909 VDB?

 

Congrats on the pick up. I had a chance to get one in the late 90s when I was just a kid, but passed on it for older stuff. Kick myself to this day about that one! But still nice to get a bucket list coin. I did that last summer. Here to hoping it's real!