1918 Dime Error List with Pictures

Turn over the recorded 1918 brockage and Liberty appears again, facing the wrong way and sunken into the metal. That unusual dime sold for $4,887.50 at Heritage in July 2009.

Other 1918 dime errors need different checks: Denver produced a ragged clip and a cracked disc, while a San Francisco broadstrike spread wider. Across the nine groups below, estimated values run from $15–$8,000.

Read on to connect each visible feature with its cause and a practical way to identify it.

1. 1918 Mercury Dime Lamination (Estimated Up to $400)

A thin flake may lift away while the rest of the dime stays intact. This surface separation is called a lamination.

Its cause lies within the metal mixture. A 1918 dime contains ninety percent silver and ten percent copper, and a weak area can separate during production.

A flake might stay attached or leave a rough opening after it falls away. That differs from a raised line made by a cracked stamping tool.

The reported 1918 type does not require a crack through the whole coin. Examine the layer itself instead of calling every surface line a split disc.

Estimated Value

For genuine surface laminations, estimate $20–$400 across circulated through modest unworn examples. A larger attached flake may draw more interest than a tiny rough patch.

A different 1921-D dime with a back lamination sold for $74 in February 2013, graded NGC VG8. That means heavy wear.

Its scarce date and older sale limit the comparison. The 1918 coin’s mint, condition, and visible metal separation still determine where it fits in the estimate.

How to Identify

Look for a thin layer rather than a single line. A 10× magnifier can show its thickness where the metal lifts or where a flake has fallen away.

Never pry it open. An attached piece can break with very little pressure.

Compare the surrounding surface for scraping and corrosion that might explain the missing metal. Follow any related opening toward the edge grooves.

Use a scale to compare with 2.50 g, allowing for wear or a lost flake. Calipers should be compared with the usual 17.9 mm diameter.

Check both faces, then identify the actual separating layer; a lifted sheet of metal is more useful than a rough patch alone.

 

2. 1918 Mercury Dime Die Cracks and Cuds (Estimated Up to $600)

A line near Liberty’s portrait or the bundle of rods on the back may stand above the surface. That raised shape can come from a cracked die, the steel tool that stamps the design.

Metal fills the narrow crack during stamping. A larger broken section reaching the tool’s edge can instead produce a rim-connected blob called a cud.

The 1918 reports include both forms, without one established route or position for every coin. Each feature needs its own comparison.

The coin itself need not be cracked. A groove or opening in its metal has a different explanation.

Estimated Value

Estimate $15–$150 for modest raised cracks and $75–$600 for stronger rim-connected cuds. These are whole-coin estimates for circulated through lower unworn examples.

Ordinary preservation contributes to the price, especially on Denver and San Francisco coins. A tiny line may add little beyond that basic value.

No particular 1918 auction is claimed for these ranges. Larger size helps only when the raised metal is an original mint feature rather than a dent or added material.

How to Identify

Let light skim across the line from the side. Through a 10× magnifier, decide whether it rises above the surface or cuts into it.

For a larger blob, follow the raised metal to the rim. An isolated bump inside the design does not have the rim connection required for a cud.

Inspect the back and the edge grooves for a hit that pushed metal upward. Dirt or solder may have a separate border around the added material.

A scale and calipers can compare a loose dime with 2.50 g and 17.9 mm. A die crack does not require the disc to split.

Identify a raised ridge or a natural rim-connected break, rather than a cut, opening, or attached deposit.

 

3. 1918 Mercury Dime Cracked Planchet (Estimated Up to $700)

An actual opening at the rim means the coin’s metal has separated. This is different from a raised line copied from a cracked stamping tool.

The recorded 1918-D example has a cracked planchet, meaning a crack in the metal disc used to make it. NGC graded the coin AU58, indicating only slight wear.

A 2014 Stack’s Bowers catalog places the opening at nine o’clock. It offered the dime with two other error coins.

The description does not establish how far the opening passes through the disc. Both faces and the side need to be examined together.

Estimated Value

Use an estimated $60–$700 for genuine cracked-disc examples in circulated through modest unworn condition. A visible opening on an attractive coin can command more than a small crack on a worn piece.

The 2014 group offering does not give a separate price for the 1918-D. A different 1945-D cracked-planchet dime graded PCGS AU50 sold for $77 in September 2024.

That later, more common date provides a lower-priced comparison. It does not set the value of the earlier Denver coin.

How to Identify

With Liberty upright, inspect the left edge around nine o’clock. Use a 10× magnifier to follow the opening from the rim toward the design.

Turn the dime over without bending it and look at the corresponding area. A side view helps show which parts of the metal remain joined.

Check the surrounding edge grooves for a later blow or signs of bending. A genuine production crack must be separated from damage that broke a completed coin.

Weigh a loose example against 2.50 g and compare caliper readings with 17.9 mm. Leave a graded coin sealed and use its records.

Trace the opening into the disc and check that bent or crushed metal does not explain the break.

 

4. 1918 Mercury Dime Ragged Clip (Estimated Up to $700)

A missing part of the edge does not always form a smooth arc. The reported 1918-D example has a ragged edge clip.

Its metal disc was incomplete before the coin’s design was stamped. A rough edge of the original metal strip can leave an uneven section on a disc cut from it.

The dealer catalog described the coin as unworn with some original toning, meaning natural surface color. It did not give a fixed percentage or clock position for the gap.

Later tearing or filing can produce a rough outline too. The neighboring stamped detail helps tell the two apart.

Estimated Value

The dealer auction catalog gave the 1918-D a $135 minimum bid. That was not a recorded winning price.

An estimated $60–$700 covers worn clips through attractive examples without circulation wear. The size and appearance of the missing segment affect collector interest.

This range values the whole Denver dime, including its preservation. A rough gap should not be priced as a mint error until its boundary and nearby design fit an incomplete original disc.

How to Identify

Examine the rough boundary and nearby letters under a 10× magnifier. The design should show how the incomplete disc behaved during stamping.

A ragged clip need not resemble a smooth curved bite. Look for later file marks, sharp fresh cuts, or bent metal along the missing area.

Use a scale to compare with the normal 2.50 g. Weight loss should fit missing metal, though later cutting also lowers weight.

Calipers across intact parts can be compared with 17.9 mm. Inspect the surviving edge grooves and the rim opposite the gap for natural weakness.

Match the rough edge and neighboring stamped detail to a genuine ragged clip, rather than rejecting it merely for lacking a curved shape.

 

5. 1918 Mercury Dime Repunched Mintmark (Estimated Up to $900)

A small extra curve can appear beside the D or S on the back. Workers once punched mint letters into the stamping tools individually.

If the punch moved between blows, it could leave two partly overlapping impressions. That is a repunched mintmark.

The 1918 reports concern Denver or San Francisco examples. They do not establish a D punched over an S merely because both mints are mentioned.

Locate the letter to the lower left of the central bundle of rods. Its exact extra shape needs a same-mint comparison, since wear and small damage can also change a letter’s outline.

Estimated Value

An estimated $30–$900 covers recognizable repunching on worn through attractive lower unworn examples. The mint and overall condition account for much of that range.

A dealer’s different-year 1929-S/S dime in Extremely Fine condition has a $30 asking price. That is a retail offer for a worn coin, not an auction result.

It shows that repeated mintmarks can remain affordable. Clear extra strokes and better preservation can support more, but an oddly shaped letter alone cannot.

How to Identify

Find the small D or S to the lower left of the rods on the back. Compare the normal letter shape with the extra curve through a 10× magnifier.

The earlier line should make sense as another impression of that same letter. A lump, scratch, or flat shelf does not by itself prove repunching.

Change the light before making a comparison, since shadows can exaggerate the apparent outline. Use photographs of the correct 1918 mint rather than a different-year variety.

Check the edge grooves and normal measurements of 2.50 g and 17.9 mm with a scale and calipers.

Follow a recognizable second D or S around the main mintmark and match its position to an identified example.

 

6. 1918 Mercury Dime Doubled Die Obverse (Estimated Up to $900)

An extra stroke in the date or motto can suggest that the design was doubled before the coin was made. The steel stamping tool already carried that repeated shape.

This is called a doubled die. The 1918 front-side report points collectors toward the date and IN GOD WE TRUST.

A similar-looking feature from another year cannot identify it. The famous 1919 variety has its own pattern and should not be transferred to a 1918 coin.

Flat shelves beside the letters can instead come from movement during stamping. The shape of the extra metal is more useful than a thick appearance.

Estimated Value

Estimate $40–$900 for genuine, identifiable 1918 front doubling on circulated through lower unworn coins. Strong separation and original surfaces can attract more interest.

The range is an estimate, not a reported sale of a named 1918 catalog variety. It allows for the coin’s mint and condition as well as the extra detail.

Prices for the well-known 1919 doubled die do not establish this coin’s value. A date that merely looks thick should not receive that variety premium.

How to Identify

Choose one date digit or letter in IN GOD WE TRUST. Under a 10× magnifier, check for an extra rounded stroke or a notch where two outlines divide.

Compare the neighboring letters as well. A reflection or isolated scratch should not be mistaken for a repeated design.

Look for a lower, flat shelf that may come from movement during stamping. Keep the year visible when comparing photographs to avoid borrowing a 1919 pattern.

Use a scale and calipers to compare with 2.50 g and 17.9 mm. Inspect the edge grooves and both faces for alteration.

Match several extra strokes to a confirmed 1918 example from the correct mint, rather than using one thick-looking letter.

 

7. 1918 Mercury Dime Broadstrike (Estimated Up to $1,500)

The San Francisco example has spread beyond the usual dime outline. It was not fully restrained by the collar, the ring that controls a coin’s width during stamping.

Without that restraint, metal can move outward while the designs remain on the disc. This is a broadstrike.

A PCGS AU58 example from the Burnham collection appeared in a Stack’s Bowers catalog. AU58 means the coin has only slight circulation wear.

A broadstrike does not have to be lighter than normal. It also does not require the two-level edge associated with a different collar error.

Estimated Value

An estimated $200–$1,500 covers circulated through attractive lower unworn 1918-S broadstrikes. The cataloged AU58 example is identified without assigning it a sale price.

A different 1941-S broadstrike graded NGC MS63 sold for $228 in September 2025. A 1920-S NGC AU58 has been offered by a dealer at $725.

The first figure is a sale and the second an asking price. Their different dates and conditions help guide the estimate rather than fix the 1918-S value.

How to Identify

Confirm the S mintmark, then compare the entire outline with a normal dime. Calipers should record several widths against the standard 17.9 mm.

Use a 10× magnifier to check that the outer letters and major designs remain on the coin. A broad border alone is not enough.

The disc normally weighs 2.50 g, so use a scale to check for substantial metal loss. Inspect the edge for missing grooves where the holding ring failed to shape it.

Later flattening can increase diameter too. Look for crushed letters or repeated impact marks explaining the spread.

Find an expanded outline enclosing complete, naturally stamped designs, without later flattening accounting for the larger size.

 

8. 1918 Mercury Dime Off-Center Strike (Estimated Up to $2,000)

A plain crescent and missing design can show where the disc missed the stamping tools. The design only reached the portion caught between them.

A published error table includes a 1918-D dime in Fine condition, meaning noticeable wear. It places the coin in an eleven-to-thirty-five-percent offset group.

That group does not establish one exact percentage for the coin. Its actual outline and surviving design need their own examination.

Both faces should fit the same displaced disc. If just one face shifts and the other stays centered, the position of a single tool may explain it.

Estimated Value

Estimate $200–$2,000 for genuine readable-date examples in circulated through attractive lower unworn condition. A clear date and strong visual effect help collectors compare them.

A different 1920-D dime struck ten percent off center sold for $1,020 in September 2025, graded PCGS MS62. It was unworn with noticeable marks.

The reported 1918-D Fine example has more wear. Neither the later sale nor the table’s percentage group fixes its value without comparing the actual coin.

How to Identify

Find the date and Denver mintmark before using the reported example as a comparison. Keep the plain crescent visible along with the missing portions of the design.

A 10× magnifier can reveal scraping across an area that only appears unstamped. Turn the coin over and trace the corresponding boundary on the other face.

Check the surviving edge grooves for cutting. Missing metal would suggest a clip or later damage instead of a simple offset.

Record a scale reading and caliper measurements against the normal 2.50 g and 17.9 mm. Allow for an uneven outline.

Confirm an intact plain crescent beside incomplete designs on both faces, with enough date and mintmark detail to identify the coin.

 

9. 1918 Mercury Dime Reverse Brockage (Estimated Up to $8,000)

The back shows a reversed copy of Liberty instead of the normal bundle of rods. Its design is sunken into the metal rather than raised above it.

This is a brockage, made when an already-struck coin presses its design into another disc during production. The ordinary stamping tool still makes the other face.

The recorded 1918 example has a normal front and a mirrorlike reversed front design on the back. NGC graded it MS62.

The usual mintmark area is replaced by the error. Its absence therefore cannot establish Philadelphia or justify a San Francisco attribution.

Estimated Value

The NGC MS62 coin brought $4,887.50 in Heritage’s July 2009 Summer FUN auction, as reported by Mint Error News. MS62 means unworn but with noticeable marks.

An estimated $3,000–$8,000 covers comparable dated Mercury brockages with clear impressions and attractive surfaces. The historical sale supports the range without fixing a present price.

A complete backward portrait is more appealing than a vague impression. Altered coins made by pressing two finished pieces together need a different assessment.

How to Identify

Compare the two portraits before searching for a mintmark. The normal front should be raised, while its backward copy on the back should sink into the surface.

Use a 10× magnifier to follow the reversed letters and date. Scattered dents or a second normally raised design do not make the same error.

Inspect the rim and edge grooves for pressure marks from later alteration. A clear grading record is especially useful for this valuable type.

For a loose coin, use a scale and calipers against 2.50 g and 17.9 mm. Leave a sealed example in its holder and check recorded measurements.

Match the sunken backward portrait and lettering to the raised front design, with the grading record confirming the brockage.

 

Conclusion

On these 1918 dimes, a raised line, a peeling layer, and a crack through the disc have different causes. Check the metal’s shape before choosing a price comparison.

Estimated values span $15 for modest tool defects to $8,000 for a strong brockage. The mint, wear, and original surfaces still matter, and an error that covers the mintmark does not reveal where the coin was made.