---
title: "1909-S VDB Penny Value: What the Key Date Is Worth"
description: "The 1909-S VDB is the top key date in Lincoln cents. Values by grade, mintage, how to check the S and VDB, and how to avoid fakes."
canonical: https://dimehound.app/coins/1909-s-vdb-penny-value/
author: Mike Moore
published: 2026-10-08
modified: 2026-10-08
values_checked: Oct 8, 2026
---

# 1909-S VDB Penny Value: What the Key Date Is Worth

By Mike Moore. Published Oct 8, 2026. Updated Oct 8, 2026. Canonical page: https://dimehound.app/coins/1909-s-vdb-penny-value/

A genuine 1909-S VDB penny is worth about $860 in worn Good condition, $1,187 in Very Fine and around $2,000 to $2,500 uncirculated. Only 484,000 were made. It needs both an S under the date and the VDB initials on the back, and fakes are common.

- **Mintage:** 484,000.
- **Mint mark:** S, under the date on the front.
- **VDB:** The designer's initials, for Victor David Brenner, at the bottom of the back between the wheat stalks.

## Value by grade

**1909-S VDB cent retail values**

| Grade | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Good (G4) | $860 |
| Very Good (VG8) | $929 |
| Fine (F12) | $1,064 |
| Very Fine (VF20) | $1,187 |
| Extremely Fine (EF40) | $1,345 |
| About Uncirculated (AU50) | $1,599 |
| Uncirculated (MS60) | $2,033 |
| Choice Uncirculated (MS63) | $2,498 |

Retail values from USA Coin Book. PCGS lists MS65 RD at $8,500, and an MS67 RD sold for $170,800 in January 2026. Values checked Oct 8, 2026.

## What to look for

- Find the S under the date and the VDB at the bottom of the back. You need both.
- A 1909 VDB with no S is the Philadelphia version. It was made in the tens of millions and is worth far less.
- A 1909-S without VDB is a different, cheaper key date, about $103 in Good.

## Fakes and lookalikes

- The most common fake is a Philadelphia 1909 VDB with an S glued or soldered under the date. Look for seams or a color change around the S.
- Altered 1909-S cents with VDB initials added also exist.
- Buy this coin only certified by PCGS or NGC.

## Find my keepers

Dime Hound is a coin scanner for iPhone and Android. Join the waitlist at https://dimehound.app/coins/1909-s-vdb-penny-value/#keepers and we'll email you once, the day it launches.

## FAQ

### How much is a 1909-S VDB penny worth?

About $860 in Good, $1,187 in Very Fine and around $2,000 to $2,500 in uncirculated grades.

### Is a 1909 VDB penny with no mint mark valuable?

It carries a premium over common wheat cents but is nowhere near the 1909-S VDB, because tens of millions were made.

### Why is the 1909-S VDB rare?

San Francisco struck only 484,000 before the VDB initials were removed from the design.

## Related coins

- [1914-D Penny Value: What Yours Is Worth](https://dimehound.app/coins/1914-d-penny-value/)
- [1922 No D Penny Value: What Yours Is Worth](https://dimehound.app/coins/1922-no-d-penny-value/)
- [Wheat Penny Value: Which 1909 to 1958 Pennies Are Worth Money](https://dimehound.app/coins/wheat-penny-value/)
- [1955 Doubled Die Penny Value: What a Real One Is Worth](https://dimehound.app/coins/1955-doubled-die-penny-value/)
- [1943 Copper Penny Value: Is Yours the Real One?](https://dimehound.app/coins/1943-copper-penny-value/)

## Sources

1. [USA Coin Book, Lincoln wheat cent values](https://www.usacoinbook.com/coins/small-cents/lincoln-wheat-cent/)
2. [PCGS CoinFacts, 1909-S VDB 1C](https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/2428)

Values are retail estimates or recorded sale prices from the sources above, checked Oct 8, 2026. What a dealer pays you is usually less than retail.