1909 VDB San Francisco Wheat Penny

The Lincoln Wheat Penny began production in 1909 to mark the centennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth. President Theodore Roosevelt selected sculptor Victor D. Brenner to design the coin. Brenner chose a profile of Lincoln for the obverse and two stalks of durum wheat for the reverse. This design replaced the Indian Head Penny, which had circulated since 1859. Production continued until 1958 with few major changes to the primary design. The mint restored the designer's initials, V.D.B., to the obverse (on Lincoln's shoulder) in 1918. The composition changed from 95% copper to a zinc-coated steel in 1943 due to World War II copper shortages. The series ended in 1958 when the Mint replaced the wheat ears with the Lincoln Memorial design.

Start your collection by purchasing a Whitman folder to organize coins by date and mint mark. Focus on the 1940s and 1950s first, as these dates remain inexpensive and easy to find in circulation. Watch for environmental damage like green corrosion or heavy scratching, as these flaws ruin a coin's value. Avoid buying high-value key dates like the 1909-S VDB or 1914-D without third-party certification, because counterfeiters frequently add fake mint marks to common coins.