1918 Wheat Penny

Notes: 1918 D Lincoln Cents in MS 65 Red are selling for more than $2,500 at a decent auction, and the RB (Red Brown) MS65s are selling for between $600 and $950 each. If coin roll hunting for 1918 pennies be on the lookout for off center or double strikes with no mint mark.

The 1918 Lincoln Wheat Cent was produced from 1909 to 1958. It gets its name from the two ears of wheat on the reverse of the coin. In 1918 all pennies were made of 95% copper and 5% zinc. With over 300 million of these issued across all three mints you are likely to stumble upon this coin in various conditions.

With any of these old wheat cents the most coveted of colors is the RD (Red). Check out the guide below to see if your coin is Red, Red Brown, or Brown.

1918 Copper Penny Color Guide

Dimensions

• Diameter: 19.05 mm (0.75 inches)
• Thickness: 1.55 mm (0.061 inches)
• Weight: 3.11 grams (0.11 ounces)

Mintage Numbers (see graph below)

• 1918 Philadelphia (no mint mark): 288,104,000 minted
• 1918 D Denver: 47,830,000 minted
• 1918-S San Francisco: 34,680,000 minted

Did you know?

President Lincoln was a wrestler in his youth. According to historical accounts only lost 1 out of 300 matches. He was also known for his physical strength and was said to have once lifted a 300-pound rock.

How much is a 1918 Wheat Penny worth?

In Average Circulated (AC) condition it's worth around 45 cents, one in certified mint state (MS+) condition could bring as much as $550 at auction. This price does not reference any standard coin grading scale. So when we say Average Circulated, we mean in a similar condition to other coins circulated in 1918, and mint state meaning it is certified MS+ by one of the top coin grading companies. *** [?].

What are your coins really worth?

Use the handy-dandy calculator below to find the real value of any wheat penny in your collection.

Specs & Design

This coin has a total mass of 3.11 g, a diameter of 19.05 mm, and a thickness of 1.55 mm. It's edge is smooth, and the coins are composed of 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc..

Designer: Victor D. Brenner

Front (Obverse): The front or obverse of this coin contains the bust of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States. If a mint mark is present it will be on the bottom right just under the year. If no mint mark is present the coin was minted in Philadelphia. With D standing for Denver, and S standing for San Francisco. The words IN GOD WE TRUST follow the top arch of the coin nicely framing Lincolns head, and the word LIBERTY sits just left of President Lincolns Colar.

Back (Reverse): The reverse of the Wheat Penny, also known as the Wheat Cent contains two wheat stalks, the words One Cent, and the Latin phrase E PLURIBUS UNUM which means Out of many, one. The reverse image would later change in 1959.