Found a 1909 VDB Lincoln cent at an estate sale last Sunday and it got me thinking

I was digging through a box of old buttons and keys at an estate sale in Elmwood, and there it was - a 1909 VDB Lincoln cent just sitting at the bottom. The lady running the sale said $5 for the whole box, so I grabbed it. Got home and checked the date, realized it's the one with the designer's initials on the back, VDB. I remember reading that only about 27 million of these were minted, and now most are beat up from being in circulation for over a century. This one's got a nice brown patina, maybe a VG-8 if I'm being generous. Made me wonder how many of these are still out there in attics or junk drawers, just waiting to be picked up for pocket change. Anyone else find something way better than expected at an estate sale lately?

2 comments

2 Comments

linda_clark4d ago

My best score was at a garage sale where I picked up a teacup for a quarter, turned out to be a rare Limoges piece from the 1890s. Sold it to a dealer for $200 later that month. Sometimes it's just dumb luck being in the right place at the right time. That VDB cent sounds like a keeper, you don't see those just sitting around in junk boxes every day.

the_julia3d ago

I have to push back on that, @linda_clark. Calling that teacup find "dumb luck" sells yourself short. A quarter for a Limoges piece from the 1890s? That's not luck, that's knowledge plain and simple. Most people would have seen a dusty old cup and walked right past it. You knew enough to pick it up and recognize what it was. Same with the VDB cent. You don't stumble into a $200 profit by accident. You have to train your eye and be willing to look through the junk. Luck might get you in the door, but experience and knowhow are what close the deal.