1909 (S) Lincoln Wheat Cent - S/S

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Description

This is the S/S repunched mint mark on the 1909-S Lincoln Wheat Cent. In this era every working die had its mint mark struck in by hand, and when the first blow landed too lightly or slightly off position the punch was simply applied again. The two impressions rarely line up exactly, so the finished die carries one S with a second showing as a ridge, an outline or a set of doubled edges beside it. Because the doubling is in the die rather than the strike, every coin from that die shows it in the same place, which is what separates a repunched mint mark from machine doubling. Examine the mint mark at 10x or more, looking at the extremities of the letter where the offset between the two punchings is widest. The 1909 (S) Lincoln Wheat Cent - S/ horizontal S represents a San Francisco Mint issue from the Lincoln Wheat Cents 1909-1958 series. The obverse features Abraham Lincoln facing right, the first real person depicted on a U.S. circulating coin and the reverse displays two wheat stalks framing ONE CENT, symbolizing American agriculture. This particular strike type is the famous FS-1502 RPM. First year of the Lincoln Cent. The "VDB" initials on the reverse caused a public outcry, and cents without VDB quickly followed. The San Francisco Mint, a Gold Rush-era institution, now specializes in proof and collector coinage. Estimated market value ranges from $103 to $498 depending on grade and condition. Struck in 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc, weighing 3.11 grams, 19.05 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Cataloged as PCGS #92432.