1909 Lincoln Cent, Wheat (1909-1958)

Intriguing History

Victor David Brenner's new cent debuted in August 1909 with his initials "V.D.B." prominently on the reverse, prompting a swift public outcry that the government was letting an artist sign his name too boldly on the money. Philadelphia had already struck tens of millions before the Mint yanked the initials within weeks, so this Philadelphia example survives in far greater numbers than its San Francisco cousin, though it still carries the same short-lived, controversial design.