1948 United States Cent Value
Depending on how well it survived, a 1948 United States Cent brings anywhere from its melt value to well into four figures. Certified examples in top grades can run far higher.
1948 United States Cent value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|
Estimated retail range. Estimates are modeled from mintage rarity and metal content, not auction records. Actual sale prices vary with certification, eye appeal and market timing.
What is a 1948 United States Cent worth right now?
The market for the 1948 United States Cent is driven by condition above all.
1948 United States Cent specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1948
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Bronze
No mint mark? Here is why
No mint mark is the mark here: the 1948 United States Cent comes from the main Philadelphia Mint, which left its coins unlettered in this era. The position where branch mints placed their letter (varies by series) is simply blank.
What makes the 1948 United States Cent valuable
The 1948 United States Cent lacks precise production records, so its value rests on demonstrated rarity: how often examples surface at auction and how they compare to documented specimens.
There is history in a 1948 United States Coinage as well. Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. That backdrop keeps the series among the most actively collected in American numismatics.
1948 United States Cent inscriptions & design
Obverse
IN GOD WE TRUST / LIBERTY / (date)
Lincoln bust r., motto top, date l.
Reverse
E PLURIBUS UNUM / ONE CENT / UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
two wheat stalks
Measured 1948 United States Cent specimens
3 physically measured 1948 United States Cent examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the g, mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 United States Cent #1 | - | - | - | Breen.2189 |
| 1948 United States Cent #2 | - | - | - | Breen.2192 |
| 1948 United States Cent #3 | - | - | - | Breen.2190 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.