Controversy over Lincoln’s Portrait
The first controversy revolved around what would be on the face of the coin. Until then, U.S. coins had not contained portraits of presidents or other recognizable individuals, one of many precedents set by George Washington, who scrupulously avoided any suggestion of royalty or other embellishments of office. But 1909 was the centennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, and then-president Teddy Roosevelt thought commemorating it was a good idea. The notion was shared by sculptor Victor David Brenner, who had designed a bust of Roosevelt for a Panama Canal commemorative medal.
Brenner, a protégé of famous coin designer Augustus Saint-Gaudens, worked up a proposal that was favored by the president, and the design moved forward at the Philadelphia mint. The engravers there worked on a reverse containing a single stalk of wheat that was rejected, ultimately resulting in the familiar two-stalk “wheatie” design that remained until 1958.
The Lincoln cent was released to great fanfare on August 2, 1909, and was eagerly snapped up by the public who bought millions of them as souvenirs. But that wasn’t the end of controversy. Some in the South complained that Lincoln wasn’t nearly as popular there and saw it as a regional affront. Others whined that the wheat stalks were not botanically accurate.
Controversy over Victor David Brenner’s Initials
The most noise came from a group of people who felt that having the designer’s initials prominent on the coin’s reverse was crass self-promotion (despite it having been common practice on many earlier coins). The hue and cry was such that the mint removed the initials shortly after the first release, ultimately restoring them in 1918 in much smaller type over Lincoln’s shoulder on the coin’s face.
1909 VDB Lincoln Cent Rarity
While a great many of the “VDB” coins were produced in 1909 before the initials were removed, they are becoming scarcer with the passage of time. And since a relatively small number of VDB coins were made at the San Francisco mint in that year, 1909-S VDB cents have become the most sought-after coins in the series.
The Great American Coin Company® is pleased to offer historic 1909 VDB Lincoln cents to add to your collection. They’re an important part of any portfolio and are an inexpensive way to launch a beginner on a rewarding, life-long interest in coin collecting. They make great novelty gifts that capture an important time in U.S. history, too.
To learn more about the Lincoln cent and what Great American Coin Company can offer to your growing coin collection, continue browsing our website or call us at 855-644-2242.
