2018 American Silver Eagle
Every version of the 2018 Silver Eagle with mintages, the silver it contains, which versions carry a premium and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2018
- 1 oz bullion mintage
- 15,700,000
- Versions
- 4
- Metal
- .999 fine silver
Original illustration of the coin's size and metal. Tap to flip. Not a picture of the actual design.
Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because metal and coin prices change daily.
What is a 2018 Silver Eagle worth?
The 2018 bullion Silver Eagle is worth its silver content: weight times the day's spot price, plus a modest dealer premium when you buy and less when you sell. Its scarcer versions are different: the 2018-S proof (208,307) rates small premium.
Metal value = troy ounces of silver × the day's spot price. For collector versions, check recent sold results for the same version and grade.
Every 2018 Silver Eagle version
| Version | Mint mark | Size | Mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullion | None | 1 oz ($1) | 15,700,000 | Metal value |
| Proof | "S" | 1 oz ($1) | 208,307 | Small premium |
| Proof | "W" | 1 oz ($1) | 418,522 | Small premium |
| Uncirculated (burnished) | "W" | 1 oz ($1) | 138,947 | Small premium |
Four versions are dated 2018. Bullion coins show no letter at all. There are two proofs, one with an S from San Francisco and one with a W from West Point, both with mirror fields and frosted devices. The only way to tell them apart is the letter on the reverse beside the eagle's tail, so check it closely. The W burnished coin has a satin finish without any mirror. Collector coins came from the Mint in a capsule and case with a certificate, while bullion was shipped in tubes inside sealed boxes.
Quick answers
- How much silver is in a 2018 Silver Eagle?
- Each coin contains its stated weight of pure silver: one troy ounce in the $1 coin. The alloy is 99.9% silver.
- How many 2018 Silver Eagles were made?
- 15,700,000 one ounce bullion coins plus 765,776 collector versions (proof, burnished and special finishes).
- Is the 2018 Silver Eagle worth more than its silver?
- The bullion coin trades close to its metal value plus a dealer premium. Collector versions in their original packaging bring a small premium.
- Is the Silver Eagle legal tender?
- Yes. Each size carries a face value ($1), but nobody spends them: the silver is worth far more than the face value.
The Silver Eagle in 2018
Investor demand slipped again in 2018, to 15,700,000 bullion coins. That's still millions of coins, but well below the levels of the boom years and the lowest total since 2007. Silver stayed in a quiet range and many investors who had bought heavily earlier in the decade simply held what they had. For anyone buying bullion, coins were easy to find and the Mint had no trouble meeting demand. Many coins from this year sit unopened in their original tubes.
Collectors had more choice than the bullion figures might suggest. San Francisco struck an S proof, 208,307 of them, alongside West Point's W proof at 418,522. That gave 2018 two regular proofs that differ only by mint mark, a pairing that would carry on through the following years. The W burnished coin dropped to 138,947, the lowest burnished figure from West Point up to that point. Lower collector mintages were becoming the norm and buyers began to pay more attention to which coins were made in smaller numbers.
2018 Silver Eagle by the numbers
The Mint sold 15,700,000 one ounce bullion Silver Eagles dated 2018. That ranks 24th lowest of the 39 bullion dates from 1986 to 2024.
Against the dates around it, 2018 bullion sales were 1.2 times fewer than 2017 and about the same as 2019.
Collector versions dated 2018 add up to 765,776 coins across 3 versions. The scarcest is the 2018-W uncirculated (burnished) at 138,947; the most plentiful is the 2018-W proof at 418,522.
What to check on yours
- Weigh and measure it. A genuine one ounce Silver Eagle weighs 31.103 g and measures 40.6 mm. Fakes are usually the wrong weight or the wrong thickness.
- Try a magnet. Silver is not magnetic, so a coin that sticks is not genuine. A coin that does not stick still needs the other checks.
- Look for the mint mark. Bullion strikes have none; proofs and burnished coins carry a small letter. A mirror field with frosted design means a proof, a soft satin look means burnished.
- Handle it by the edge and never clean it. Fingerprints, wiping and polishing leave marks that cost collector versions much of their premium.
- Keep the original capsule, box and certificate with collector versions. Coins that come with them are easier to sell and more likely to bring their full premium.
The 2018 bullion coin trades at metal value except in perfect grades. The 2018-S proof, with a lower mintage than the W, trades for a small premium a little ahead of the W proof. The 2018-W burnished coin, at 138,947, is a low figure for a burnished coin and also trades for a small premium, with top graded examples drawing the most interest. Original packaging helps all three collector coins. Keep them away from heat and moisture to avoid spotting. Bullion coins rarely need anything more than a tube or capsule.
Record demand and anniversary sets (2009 to 2020)
Bullion demand took over in 2009. The Mint is required by law to meet bullion demand first, so every silver blank went to bullion coins and no proofs or burnished coins were dated 2009. Sales climbed above 30 million a year and peaked at 47,000,000 in 2015, the record for the program. Those huge numbers mean bullion coins from this era trade at metal value except in perfect grades. Proofs returned in 2010 and burnished coins in 2011.
Collectors had the opposite experience: a run of limited sets. The 25th anniversary set of 2011 added a burnished coin from San Francisco and a reverse proof from Philadelphia. The 2012 San Francisco set and the 2013 West Point set marked those mints' 75th anniversaries. The 2019 Pride of Two Nations set with the Royal Canadian Mint brought an enhanced reverse proof, while 2019 also produced the 29,913 coin San Francisco enhanced reverse proof and 2020 the V75 privy proof. Most of these sold out quickly and demand for them has stayed strong.
Bullion sales cooled sharply after 2016, falling below 15 million by 2019, before the pandemic sent buyers rushing back in 2020 for a total of 31,329,500. Through all of it the regular W proofs and burnished coins stayed widely available. The special issues are where the premiums are concentrated in this stretch. If you find a set from these years, keep every coin in its original holder and keep the box and certificate with it, since buyers expect complete sets.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Program | American Silver Eagle |
|---|---|
| Issuer | United States Mint |
| Metal | .999 fine silver |
| Alloy | 99.9% silver |
| Sizes | 1 oz ($1, 31.103 g, 40.6 mm) |
| Edge | Reeded |
| One ounce coin | 31.103 g, 40.6 mm |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the 2018-S and 2018-W proof Silver Eagles?
Only the mint mark. The S proof was struck at San Francisco, 208,307 of them, while the W proof came from West Point, 418,522. Both have mirror fields and frosted design. The S coin's lower mintage gives it a slightly bigger premium.
Is the 2018 burnished Silver Eagle scarce?
It has a low mintage for a burnished coin, 138,947, the lowest West Point burnished figure up to that point. It isn't rare, but it trades for a small premium over metal value, more in top grades.
Mintages: American Silver Eagle (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint figures. How we build these pages.