GSM Lincoln Wheat Cent 1 oz Silver Round (New)

Brenner’s Lincoln Cent, Twice the Size and in Silver

The GSM Lincoln Wheat Cent 1 oz Silver Round takes Victor David Brenner’s 1909 design and strikes it on one troy ounce of .999 fine silver. The original cent is 19.05 mm across. Golden State Mint’s round measures about 39.3 mm, more than twice as wide, so Lincoln’s portrait and the wheat stalks have room the copper cent never gave them.

 

Ten Days in August 1909

The Mint hired Brenner in January 1909 to design a cent for the centennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. It was the first widely circulating US coin design to show a president. Brenner put his initials, V.D.B., at the base of the reverse.

 

The coins were released that summer, and the initials drew complaints almost at once. On August 5 the Treasury Secretary suspended production, and by August 12 the Mint was striking cents without them. Only 484,000 of San Francisco’s cents with the initials were released for circulation, and that 1909-S VDB is the rarest Lincoln cent by date and mint mark. Brenner’s initials did not return until 1918, and then only as a small mark at the base of Lincoln’s bust.

 

What Carries Over From the Original

The obverse keeps Brenner’s side profile of Lincoln with IN GOD WE TRUST, LIBERTY and the date 1909. The reverse keeps the two wheat stalks the cent carried from 1909 through 1958, and it puts V.D.B. back at the base, where the 1909 initials sat before they were removed. Where the cent carried its denomination, the round reads ONE TROY OZ and .999 FINE SILVER, with GOLDEN STATE MINT across the top.

 

A Tribute Round, Not a 1909 Cent

This is a private round from Golden State Mint, a family-run mint in Central Florida that started in 1974. It carries no denomination and no government backing, and the 1909 on the face is part of the design, not the year it was struck. It is not a collectible cent and is priced on its silver, like any other 1 oz round.

 

GSM Lincoln Wheat Cent 1 oz Silver Round Specifications

Each round holds one troy ounce of .999 fine silver, measures about 39.3 mm across and 3.2 mm thick, and has a reeded edge. It ships new, 20 to a tube. Full current specs are on the Specifications tab above.

 

GSM Lincoln Wheat Cent 1 oz Silver Round FAQ

 

Is this a real 1909 Lincoln cent?

No. It is a one-ounce silver round from Golden State Mint that reproduces the 1909 design. The 1909 is design, not a date of issue.

 

Why does the reverse say V.D.B.?

Those are Brenner’s initials. They appeared on the first 1909 cents, were removed within days after complaints, and did not return until 1918. The round puts them back on the reverse where they started.

 

How much bigger is it than a penny?

The round is about 39.3 mm across. A Lincoln cent is 19.05 mm, so the round is more than twice as wide.

 

Is the GSM Lincoln Wheat Cent round IRA eligible?

Our Specifications tab and Golden State Mint both list it as IRA eligible. It still has to be held by the IRA’s trustee, and custodians keep their own lists of accepted products, so confirm with yours before you buy.

 

How are they packaged?

Golden State Mint packs them 20 to a tube. A full tube is twenty, which makes the tube an easy way to buy them in bulk.

 

Want to compare other 1 oz rounds? Browse our full 1 oz Silver Rounds selection.

 

Ready to stack Brenner’s Lincoln in silver? Add the GSM Lincoln Wheat Cent 1 oz Silver Round to your cart.