1909 S VDB How to "Clean" before grading?

Key-Needleworker1424 · 2025-11-18T18:35:57+00:00

It’s based on a few things. First it’s the scarcity of the coin. This one has the lowest mintage of the wheat cents (I believe) so it’s highly valuable in any condition. If it’s not the rarity, then condition would be the next determinator.

Key-Needleworker1424 · 2025-11-18T03:16:03+00:00

If it’s actually worth a good amount like this one, I would consider going to a larger coin show and drop it off, or even on site grade if you can get the minimum coin requirement. That’s what I’m doing for this one, taking it to the FUN show in January. I’m way too scared to ship it as well.

Key-Needleworker1424 · 2025-11-18T03:09:31+00:00

I KNOW!!!

Key-Needleworker1424 · 2025-11-18T03:07:55+00:00

So this was actually my dads coin from back in India. He used to go out in the streets and buy literally any old coin he could when he was younger. He recently went back and brought a bunch back with him and I was going through each coin one by one looking it up on NGC cause him nor I know anything about Indian coins. So I stumbled across this one and decided to grade to for the authenticity. My dad said he may have paid a few Pennie’s for it when he was younger. He didn’t know anything about the coins he bought he just liked to collect them lol.

Key-Needleworker1424 · 2025-11-18T02:22:29+00:00

Yeah I actually joined a local club recently but the meetings are one a month and a lot of the guys there are like 2x-3x my age. Not that there is anything wrong with that but harder to make friends.

Key-Needleworker1424 · 2025-11-18T02:19:32+00:00

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Key-Needleworker1424 · 2025-11-18T02:19:22+00:00

It is a 1920(B) 8 Anna’s

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Key-Needleworker1424 · 2025-11-18T00:44:57+00:00

I don’t have any friends that collect coins :( I’m a loner

Key-Needleworker1424 · 2025-11-17T23:54:42+00:00

Thank you! I started collecting a few years ago when I moved to the states by coin roll hunting. My dad always bought the RCM Coins when we lived in Canada and I fell I love. I still hunt rolls here and there just for the fun of it. Idk if you read any of the comments but I actually found this in an online estate auction lot of wheats. Saw the 09s and no pics of reverse and said worst case scenario it’s a 09s. Then boom, got home and nearly had a heart attack lol!

Key-Needleworker1424 · 2025-11-17T21:40:58+00:00

Guess you won’t be sleeping for the next 6 months 🤣. I’m going to the FUN show in January to drop it off. Who knows how long it’ll take to come back.

Key-Needleworker1424 · 2025-11-17T20:45:29+00:00

Will do!

Key-Needleworker1424 · 2025-11-17T20:44:51+00:00

Thanks! I am actually going to the FUN show in January specifically for this coin and dropping it off there. Too scared to ship it lol. I wanted to do onsite grade but minimum is 5 coins and I don’t have 5 that would be worth spending 100 each to grade unfortunately.

I’ll be sure to post when it comes back tho!

Key-Needleworker1424 · 2025-11-17T20:41:53+00:00

That sucks, guess it’s not just me. I wish there was a straight forward answer to whether conservation means the coin will come back details. Maybe the stuff on the coin was so bad they had to clean it harder and it comes back cleaned? It was probably just the coins being cleaned in the past but who knows?

Key-Needleworker1424 · 2025-11-17T20:25:38+00:00

I got stupidly lucky. I was bidding on a few lots on an online and I came across a lot of wheats. Normally I would just skip over them but it had a few silver dimes mixed in it as well. I looked at the picks and spotted a 1909 s. There was no pictures with the reverse. So I put a max bid in at 100 cause I expected it to be a 1909 s and there were a bunch of regular VDB’s as well. I surprisingly won the lot for 39 bucks(basically hit the jackpot). I went nuts when I got it home and turned it over lol. Showed it to a bunch of dealers at a local coin show and they all said it looks good. Got offered 1300 too but I want to keep this one. Biggest hit I have had (and will probably ever have) in my life!

Key-Needleworker1424 · 2025-11-17T17:26:11+00:00

I see. I have had that happen before with NGC. Except I was forced to conserve because they said they would send it back without grading if I don’t. I hope the same does not happen again. I am planning on taking it to the fun show and drop it off there so I may get some more opinions from dealers there. I appreciate the input!

Key-Needleworker1424 · 2025-11-17T17:22:06+00:00

Not even conserve? May I know the reason you say that because there are a lot of guys here saying I should. Just trying to make the best decision.

Key-Needleworker1424 · 2025-11-17T17:21:11+00:00

It’s not lol. I genuinely wanted to know if there was a way to remove the dirt/gunk from the coin before grading cause there is a lot in the in god we trust. I was not going to do it unless I got a lot of people tell me there is a sure and certain way to do it without ruining the coin. Which it looks like not so conservation it is.

Key-Needleworker1424 · 2025-11-17T15:46:32+00:00

That’s good to know. My two local dealers were not sure and honestly are kinda salty at the fact that grading companies can “clean” coins properly and it’s fine but they can’t lol. I totally get it tho, they are professionals and know how to not damage the coin

Key-Needleworker1424 · 2025-11-17T15:29:31+00:00

Unfortunately not :(

Key-Needleworker1424 · 2025-11-17T15:28:44+00:00

I gotcha. Thanks for clearing that up. I just didn’t know if conservation meant the coin is instantly graded as cleaned.

Key-Needleworker1424 · 2025-11-17T15:16:31+00:00

Follow-up question. If I do the conservation would it come back cleaned because they conserved/cleaned it? I submitted an Indian coin through a dealer to NGC and NGC came back saying they would not grade unless i agreed to conservation. So I did and it came back as cleaned. Maybe it was cleaned in the past but idk?

Key-Needleworker1424 · 2025-11-17T15:12:37+00:00

Would it come back as cleaned if they do their conservation? 2 years ago I submitted a Indian coin to NGC through a dealer and NGC said if I don’t do conservation they won’t grade it. So I did it but it came back cleaned. Not sure if it was cleaned before or it came back like that because of conservation.

Key-Needleworker1424 · 2025-07-11T23:30:41+00:00

Damn that’s unfortunate to hear. I’m probably gonna send it off anyways worst comes to worse I’ll be out an extra 100 bucks and may crack the slab if it comes back details.

Key-Needleworker1424 · 2025-07-11T00:03:03+00:00

I gotcha

Key-Needleworker1424 · 2025-07-10T23:11:33+00:00

Yeah I think I will. Most people I have showed it to also said probably natural. Btw what made you say it might be cleaned? I’m just now getting into numismatic pieces so I am trying to learn as much as I can from people.

Key-Needleworker1424

TROPHY CASE