VKurtB

OUTSTANDING! Enjoy. That's pretty cool.

Karen,
While I do like the find - a die crack, I am not a fan of "cutesy" names for varieties. I guess it flows from my revulsion with "cutesy" names for ordinary astronomical events like "super moon" [a full moon near perigee], or "blood moon" [lunar eclipse]. I have been very thoroughly trained to be a man of science, and not into "pop culture" expressions and lingo. In that regard, I am severely "whimsy challenged".

I went back and re-looked. While I do own an MS65RD [not so red anymore] slabbed [old small ANACS slab] 1909VDB, yours is waaaaaay better than my "album piece".

Oh Lisae, it's worth than you thought. Some 1942's are and others are not. Any with a LARGE mintmark above the Monticello is, and those without are not. The difference is a war-required change in the alloy, because nickel was a "strategic" metal for the war.

I'm not seeing a DDR, but you might just have something there for a DDO.

Go in with this attitude, just one time - "This club needs my new blood more than I need them." It's probably even true! Heck, if I had a good reason to be down there, I'd go WITH you.

Mine too.

For the newbie in this day and age, if they intend to use it hard and often, which I recommend, the wirebound regular one is my recommendation. One reason is it can lie flat open on a table while you keep both hands free for a coin and a magnifier. I use it with less constancy and more often to search for a particular thing, which makes the lie-flat aspect far less important. Plus, I started when the hardbound was the only choice and I like the constant look on my bookshelf. If I were a beginner today, I'd probably choose wirebound. More varieties are covered in the regular version than had been the case just a few years ago.

If Facebook floats your boat, go to it. I have never had an account and never will. Why? Because I know the likes of Zuckerberg, and I regard him as close to purely evil-intended. I have no desire to be his "product" that he sells to advertisers. You DO realize, I hope, that the federal government has fined them BILLIONS of dollars for misconduct, right? Whatever.

"But we all need to understand people like yourself has more and better knowledge than the red book."
 
That's where you risk being DEAD WRONG. I buy the new Red Book every year and now the Mega Red, too. It is still my #1 source in U.S. coins. Foreign is another matter. Yes, there may be a niche or two where I might have some specialized knowledge, but some of the finest minds in this field "pour their guts" into that Red Book every year. Do not diminish its importance.  I was at an auction a few weeks ago where there were some large cents I needed for my set. I picked off my shelf Mega Red #1 (before it was actually called that), because of the detailed section on large cents.

No.  Coins specially made for collectors do tend to come in higher grades than they did in the past, but a 70 is NOT a given.  Grades below PF-68 or MS-67 are unusual though.  Problem is there are enough PF-70, or MS-70 or 69 to make anything that grades lower a dead item in the market.

Personally, I think they're going to be the next numismatic fad, just like the 2014 Baseball coins.  They're going to be hotter than the sun for five minutes, resulting in a high mintage for a modern commemorative and then they're going to tank in value within the next year.  I'd say if someone likes them, go for it, but don't buy them with an investment mindset or looking to profit from them in the long run.  The only way anyone other than the US Mint will profit from these is if they do sell out.  Then flippers right after the sellout is announced will be able to turn a profit, I think.  But if they don't sell out fast, I'd say that they're going to follow the trajectory of any other modern US commemorative coin and that there will be no profit or investment potential.