Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-06-08
1909 CENT FOUND
IN I VARIETIES
PREMIUM OF s2.25 PAID FOR A
SPECIMEN IN RECENT
SALES.
LINCOLN CENT LIKELY TO PRO.
pucE MANY COIN COL
LEcToRs.

The interest aroused among coin
collectors by the change in the de-
sign of the cent is shown by the fact
that already two varieties of the
1909 cent command a premium OF
over 81 There are no less than seven
varieties of the cent of 1909.
First among these varieties are the
Indian head and the Lincoln cent IN
proof condition. These constitute dis
tinct varieties in the eyes of the col
leotors. and they ire the most valu-
able of all cents of the year. A
proof specimen of the Indian head
cent brought s2.25, and one OF the
Lincoln cent 81 at a recent auction
safe in this city. The proof coins
were made especially for collectors
at the mint. and show superior
finish to that on the coins made Tor
circulation.
The third variety is the Indian
head cent struck for general use. II
is held at slight premium, ? lot of
five pieces I'm uncireulated condition
bringing IL cents each at the same
sale. while brilliant red specimen
was bid in at % cents.
LicoIn Cent With initials.
The fourth variety is the Lincoln
cent made at the Philadelphia mint
for general circulation, and bearing
the initials v d. b. A. lot of so
pieces in bright red condition brought
three cents each at the sale.
The fifth variety is the Lincoln
cent, made at Philadelphia, on which
the initials of the designer are omit
ted. 1t is he'd at no premium.
No Indian head cents were made at
the san Francisco mint in 1903 All
the cents made there bear the mint
letter S on the reverse and are OF
the Lincoln design. The sixth and
seventh varieties being the cents in
this mint, and with and without the
initials V. d. p.
In the eyes of the collectors. judg-
ing from the most recent auctions of
COINS, the last two varieties are OF
about equal value. A specimen OF
the San Francisco cent with the ini-
tials, in bright red condition, brought
16 cents, while a lot OF two pieces
in the same condition brought 70
cents each.
viii Make New Collectors.
Coin collectors and dealers are of
the opinion that the Lincoln cent
will make many new coin collectors,
just as the advent Of the 1856 flying
eagle cent aroused such interest that
coin-colecting was placed on a per.
roanent basis in this country. Prior
to 1856 there were few collectors OF
coins in the United States and very
low prices were paid for coins which
we're conceded to be Of extreme rar-
ity.
The change Of design in 1856 from
the old.fashioned large copper cent,
which had been doing duty since the
opening Of the mint in 1893. to the
small cent of copper-nickel attracted
so much attention that host OF per
sons Joined the ranks of the collect.
ors and caused a sudden advance in
the price OF coin rarities.
Although the 1856 cent is actually
pattern cent, the law authorizing
the issue of the design not having
been passed until Feb. q, 1857, new.
ertheless it was of the same design
and of the same metal as the regu-
lar 1857 flying eagl- cent.
1856 Eagle Cents.
In 1856 these pattern cents were
made In considerable numbers. No
one knows Just how many were made
but certainly there were hundreds
and perhaps thousands of them In
deed. the statement was made a Few
years ago that fully $4,000 Of the
! flying eagle cents had been made. II