Isn?t the 1909-S VDB cent the key coin of the Lincoln seies?
Well, yes and no. I might note that as but one example, the 1909 VDB proofs are a much rarer coin. Only 420 of the proofs were struck, compared to the 484,000 circulation strikes of the 1909-S VDB cent. Current values give the very low mintage proof a $6,000 price tag, down from $6,100 in 2001. At that time the proof had twice the value of the SVDB, but in the interim the SVDB has shot up to $7,500 in MS-65 grade. Even in the circulating coins, the 1914-D ($22,000) and the 1914-S ($10,000) outrank the ?09-S VDB in the same MS-65 grade. However, all of them are pikers compared to the 1922 cent without mintmark. It currently lists at $180,000.
My bride to be and I are both collectors. Would you repeat the list of customs you ran some time back?
There are literally dozens of such customs, so pick and choose. The bride may put a coin in her shoe or her right stocking. The bride?s shoes will bring luck if they are purchased entirely with pfennigs, pennies or cents ? although, that one went out of fashion when shoe prices went over $2. The bride should hide some coins just before the wedding to ensure she isn?t marrying the wrong man. Save some coins, because it is also a custom to throw coins from the vehicle on the way to the church. In some places the way will be blocked, and the bride must pay a toll to pass through. The British Royal Mint provided a lucky sixpence that my bride wore in her shoe.
Will proof coins always retain their value?
There is no guarantee that any coin will maintain its value, but most coins become more valuable over the long term. The value of proof coins is dependent on the same factors as circulating coins. The ultimate key is how many were minted. For some years the U.S. Mint has oversold proof coins. You may have noticed that, as a result, some of the proof sets from a few years ago are selling for less than the issue price. This is because the mintages were so high.
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