1918 Lincoln Cent

The 1918 Lincoln Wheat Penny had a mintage of 288,104,634. These 1918 Lincoln Cent coins are 95% copper and 5% zinc and tin. Each of these coins have a diameter of 19mm. We use strict Photograde standards when grading all of our coins. You can view the grading guidelines on the main Lincoln Cents page of the website. Please allow 3 to 5 business days for your order to leave our offices as each coin must be inspected and graded prior to packaging.

What's a 1918 wheat penny worth?

1918 is a milestone year: for the first time since their removal in 1909, designer Victor David Brenner's VDB initials returned to the Lincoln cent, tucked into the truncation of Lincoln's shoulder. Value-wise, the Philadelphia issue is common in circulated grades — around $0.12 in Good and $3.32 in Extremely Fine — with Uncirculated coins starting near $11. Quality matters fast at the top: full-red Gems bring $50–$500 in MS65–MS66, and PCGS MS67 Red examples have sold for $12,650 and up at auction.

Check below the date on the front: no mint mark means Philadelphia. Then tilt the coin under a light and look along the bottom edge of Lincoln's shoulder for the tiny VDB. It appears on every cent from 1918 onward — a detail most owners of wheat pennies have never noticed.

Philadelphia struck a record 288,104,634 cents in 1918 as the wartime economy ran hot. We inspect and grade every coin before it ships.

Values: CoinWeek and CoinStudy.