From what I read, when the public found out that the VDB initials were
to be relocated from the 1909 cent going forward after complaints,
they snapped up rolls of the coins. Are the high MS number specimens
that I see sold online most likely from those rolls? I see many VF
condition ones for sale too. The general public did not hoard them all
apparently and used them for commerce I guess, hence the wear. I think
I saw a ca. 1940's coin price book once that listed the 1909 S VDB for
$40 or so. So between 1909 and the 1940's the coin grew in scarcity
due to collectors growing in ranks? There was only about half a
million of the coin issued. I am actually surprised that many of them
were used for regular pocket change until what happened?