205. 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent
Manufacturer: US Mint
original price: US$ 0.01*
Value today: US$ 6,600*
Developed by Victor David Brenner for the US Mint, the 1909-S VDB 1C is one of the most sought after collectible wheat coins of its kind. The penny, which is made from 95% of copper (the same amount as today, in fact), set an auction record when it sold on Heritage for $6,600 USD$.
The one-cent piece had 484,000 such units produced. One of the reasons behind the high price of the coin is its rarity. Another reason is the crazy story behind it. The engraver, Brenner, put his initials on the coin. Newspapers at the time took issue, claiming the initials were too large and represented illegal free publicity for Brenner. The scandal prompted the United States Mint to remove the initials from the coin entirely. Wheat pennies with VDB still on them are the big sellers.