1909-S Wheat Penny (no V.D.B.) Value

1909-S Lincoln Cent (no V.D.B.)

Key date

About 1.8 million were made.

1909-S Wheat Penny (no V.D.B.): front (type example, 1909 Philadelphia VDB cent) — Type example: 1909 Philadelphia VDB cent. Your coin's date and mint mark may differ.
Photo credits
National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History (photo: Jaclyn Nash) (PD; source)

1909-S Wheat Penny (no V.D.B.): back (type example, 1909 Philadelphia VDB cent) — Type example: 1909 Philadelphia VDB cent. Your coin's date and mint mark may differ.
Photo credits
National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History (photo: Jaclyn Nash) (PD; source)

Value by condition

Penny Value estimate · values as of Q4 2026

Worn (Good to Very Fine)

$48.00 – $140

G-4 – VF-20

Uncirculated (MS-60)

$180

Brown

By grade

Typical value at each grade and colour. Penny Value estimate.
Grade	Brown	Red-Brown	Red
G-4Good	$48.00	—	—
VG-8Very Good	$74.00	—	—
F-12Fine	$140	—	—
VF-20Very Fine	$140	—	—
XF-40Extremely Fine	$180	—	—
AU-50About Uncirculated	$180	—	—
MS-60Mint State (Uncirculated)	$180	$210	—
MS-63Mint State (Uncirculated)	$220	$270	$470
MS-65Mint State (Uncirculated)	$530	$640	$1,100

Values as of Q4 2026 · Penny Value estimate · based on 6 recorded sales

Penny Value estimate, 2026-Q4, from public sale records, mintage and survival data. It isn't a price guide or an offer.

How Penny Value estimates values

Check your own penny

Take a photo of each side. Penny Value reads the date and the mint mark, tells you if it could be a 1909-S (no V.D.B.) and what to check.

Check your own penny

Penny Value is an Android app for now, so it isn't on the App Store. The values and checks on this page are free to use.Penny Value is an Android app. Open this page on your Android phone to check your own penny with a photo.

How to identify it

S below the date
No V.D.B. on the tails side

What to check

What a genuine 1909-S (no V.D.B.) shows:

S mint mark under the date (1909): YesIs there a small letter S directly below the date on the heads side?
V.D.B. on the tails side: NoAre the letters V.D.B. at the bottom centre of the reverse, between the wheat stalks near the rim?
S punched over a sideways S: NoInside or around the S mint mark, is there a second S lying on its side?

To check yours, photograph

Mint mark close-up
Bottom of the back

Fakes and look-alikes

Added S mint marks on 1909 cents exist. Have it authenticated by PCGS or NGC before buying or selling.

Specs

Series: Lincoln Wheat Cent
Year: 1909
Mint: San Francisco
Mint mark: Below the date, on the front
Metal: Bronze (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc)
Weight: 3.11 g
Mintage: 1.8 million (1,825,000)
1909-S without V.D.B.; the 1909-S V.D.B. (484,000) is counted separately. Includes the S/horizontal S coins.
Source: Wikipedia
Designer: Victor David Brenner

Other varieties of this date

1909-S V.D.B.
San Francisco · 484,000 made
Key date
$750worn
$2,000MS-60
1909-S/Horizontal S
San Francisco · Included in the 1,825,000 1909-S (no V.D.B.) coins; not counted separately.
Variety
$70.00worn
$190MS-60

Other 1909 pennies

1909 (no V.D.B.)
Philadelphia · 72.7 million made
7.5¢worn
$24.00MS-60
1909 Matte Proof (no V.D.B.)
Philadelphia · Proof · 2,352 made
Proof
$410proof

1909 penny values · Every Lincoln Wheat Cent · Penny value chart