While answering some questions at a recent show, an ILNA member asked me, “Why would the U. S. Mint produce just 24, 1894 S Barber Dimes?” I did not have a good answer, and told him to look in the next Digest.

The 2006 ILNA Fall Coin Show and Convention displayed many numismatic rarities. Today I will share just one of them with you. ILNA members owe Gerry Gerber a vote of gratitude for making this article possible. You will find Gerry Gerber’s half page ad on page 25 of this digest.

1909 was a split year for the cent coin production. The first part of the year, Indian cents were produced and toward the end of the year, the Lincoln cent was produced. Thus we have three hard to find coins to collect from 1909. First comes the 1909 S Indian cent, then the 1909 S Lincoln and finally the 1909 S VDB.

Today lets talk about the 1909 S Indian cent. Collectors know that a 1909 S Indian is hard to find, but a nice red genuine 1909 S Indian is very hard to find.

Most collectors know that the first feathers on the 1909 S Indian cent are weakly struck. As a matter of fact, most of us know that if the coin has full feather detail on the first feathers, it is most likely a Philadelpia Indian cent with an added “S” mintmark. Full feather detail is very rare and all 1909 S Indians should be authenticated.

Recently at a local club show, 2 different altered 1909 S Indian cents were making their way from dealer to dealer. An “S” mintmark had been glued to a 1909 P Indian cent, making it look like a 1909 S. The person selling one of the coins had purchased it at a local auction and was trying to sell the coin. The seller did not want to believe the coin was altered from a 1909 P to a 1909 S.

Later in the show, I say the gentleman in the lobby and was talking with him about the coin. He looked at me and smiled, telling me that another dealer must have know that the coin was real, because he bought the coin from him. He sure has happy....but before long the dealer will not be a happy camper.

Only 309,000 Indian cents were struck in 1909, and depending on the source of your information, only one or two date positions are know. The exact number of reverse dies is unknown, but at this time, it is believed that only one reverse die was used in production.

Many people believe the mintmark used on the 1909 S Indian and the 1909 S Lincoln are the same. This is not true, the style is different on the 1909 S Indian cent.

The coin shown below belongs to Gerry Gerber and he not only has one certified PCGS MS 64 RD, he has two. Both are almost full detail on the first two feathers.

This is a photomicrograph of the first two feathers of one of Gerry’s gem coins.

It is very hard to photograph the first two feathers because of the need for shadows to show the detail. This photomicrograph shows the detail on the right side of the first feather, the same detail can be seen on the left side of the first feather.

Also notice the detail on the second feather. Not quite full detail, but so close to full detail it is amazing. Coins with this much detail can not be bought at list prices, they will always be at a premium. But then, is a premium coin easy to find at just any dealers shop or table.

If you are attending a show and Gerry Gerber is there, stop by and take the opportunity to view these coins. As a matter of fact, I do not think Gerry would even mind if you bought one or both of the coins.

There are two important points to remember when trying to authenticate any 1909 S Indian. The first we just finished discussing, the tips of the first two feathers. If they have full detail on the upper tips, they are to be considered counterfeit or altered until proven authentic.

Lets start looking at the mintmark notice that both the upper and lower serif’s look like trumpets. Thus the name trumpet serifs. Looking at the upper serif, let you eyes move down to the bottom of the serif . You will see that the bottom of the serif almost touches curve of the “S” mintmark. Also notice that both the top and bottom serif are parallel

These are the only two points to remember when authenticating the 1909 S Indian cent.

Have a question, need an answer, drop me a line or visit us at a coin show. Baker Numismatics, LLC, Frank M. Zapushek PO Box 1993, Bloomington, IL. 61702. No charge to collectors for authentication or questions. Buying collections and estates. Visit our informative web page at http://www.baker coins.net