1918-S Lincoln Wheat Cent Value
Today a 1918-S Lincoln Wheat Cent typically sells for $0.10 to $38.00, with condition doing most of the work, and its metal content alone is worth $0.03 as of 2026-06-01 Certified examples in top grades can run far higher.
1918-S Lincoln Wheat Cent value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $0.03 |
| Good (G-4) | $0.10 to $0.15 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $0.10 to $0.20 |
| Fine (F-12) | $0.20 to $0.35 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $0.40 to $0.70 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $0.80 to $1.35 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $1.60 to $2.70 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $3.20 to $5.40 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $7.20 to $12.00 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $22.50 to $38.00 |
Estimated retail range, updated 2026-06-15. Estimates are modeled from mintage rarity and metal content, not auction records. Actual sale prices vary with certification, eye appeal and market timing.
Current 1918-S Lincoln Wheat Cent value
At the entry level, well-worn examples bring about $0.10. The same coin in gem uncirculated condition is a $38.00 coin. Grade is everything: two examples of the 1918-S Lincoln Wheat Cent can differ in price by an order of magnitude based purely on preservation.
1918-S Lincoln Wheat Cent specifications
- Series
- Lincoln Wheat Cent
- Year
- 1918
- Mint mark
- S
- Mintage
- 34,680,000
- Composition
- 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc (bronze); zinc-coated steel in 1943
- Weight
- 3.11 g
- Diameter
- 19.05 mm
- Edge
- Plain
- Designer
- Victor David Brenner
Mintage figure: US Mint reports (approximate).
How to find the S mint mark
To confirm your 1918 coin is the San Francisco issue, find the small "S". On the obverse, below the date on the right side of Lincoln's portrait The mark is small, so tilt the coin under a light if it is not obvious.
What makes the 1918-S Lincoln Wheat Cent valuable
A large mintage of 34,680,000 means this issue is common in circulated grades. The interesting money starts in Mint State, where quality, not quantity, sets the price.
Context adds the final layer to the 1918-S Lincoln Wheat Cent. In 1943 copper went to the war effort and cents were struck in zinc-coated steel; a handful of bronze planchets left in the presses became the legendary 1943 copper cents, worth six figures. Owning this date means owning a piece of that story, and demand for the series as a whole sustains liquidity for every issue in it.
Summary: the 1918-S Lincoln Wheat Cent is valued between $0.10 and $38.00 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.