2018-D Introductory Innovation Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the Denver Mint · 2,148,525 made
- Mintage
- 2,148,525
- Metal
- Manganese brass
- Weight
- 8.1 g
- Diameter
- 26.49 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 2018-D Introductory Innovation Dollar worth?
A worn 2018-D Introductory is a spender: face value. A bright uncirculated one, or one with a known error, is worth setting aside.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 2018-D Introductory Innovation Dollar rare?
- No. With 2.1 million made, it's one of the most common American Innovation Dollars.
- Is the 2018-D Introductory Innovation Dollar silver?
- No. It's manganese brass (88.5% copper, 6% zinc, 3.5% manganese, 2% nickel). Circulating silver dollars ended with the 1935 Peace dollar. Some Eisenhower dollars with an S mint mark were made in 40% silver for collectors, but circulation Ike dollars are copper-nickel clad.
- Where is the mint mark on a 2018 American Innovation Dollar?
- On the edge, incused with the date. On this coin the mark is D, for Denver.
- How many 2018-D Introductory Innovation Dollar coins were made?
- 2,148,525.
What to check on your 2018-D
- Make sure the mint mark really is a D. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 2018-P (2.1 million made).
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 2018-S Introductory Innovation Dollar Proof (243,567 made) is the one to compare with.
- Judge the grade under good light. These are sold in rolls, bags and sets, so most survive uncirculated. Value depends on luster and freedom from marks.
With 2 million made, the 2018-D still turns up in everyday change. Keep yours only if it looks uncirculated or shows a variety; otherwise it's worth face value.
The story of the 2018-D Introductory
Denver made 2,148,525 of the Introductory innovation dollar.
Philadelphia struck a similar number of the same design (2.1 million), so neither mint's version is much harder to find.
Across the whole program it's one of the most plentiful Denver designs.
More on the 2018-D
Denver's share of the introductory run came to 2,148,525 coins, edging out Philadelphia by only 4,600. That near tie means the D and P are equally easy to find. What really sets the 2018-D apart is how it compares with the state coins that followed: the designs dated 2020 to 2024 were struck at roughly a fifth of this level, between about 380,000 and 525,000 per mint. If you only buy one Innovation dollar from Denver, this is the cheapest way in.
Because it honors innovation in general rather than one state, the introductory coin is the only Innovation dollar dated 2018 and the natural first hole in an album. The Mint sold it in rolls and bags instead of shipping it to banks for change, so most survivors are uncirculated. Check the edge first: the date, the D and E PLURIBUS UNUM should all be incuse and evenly spaced. A Denver coin with clean luster and no nicks on Liberty's profile is worth face value or a small premium, nothing more.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 2018
The American Innovation dollar program began, with a new reverse for each state and territory celebrating an invention or innovator.
How to recognize it
The Introductory design
The 2018 introductory coin opened the American Innovation series by honoring the idea of innovation rather than a single state. Its reverse shows George Washington's signature above the words SIGNED FIRST PATENT, accompanied by four stylized gears that stand for industry. The inscription AMERICAN INNOVATORS completes the design. Washington signed the first United States patent on July 31, 1790, granted to Samuel Hopkins for a process of making potash. That grant began the federal patent system that has protected American inventors ever since.
The American Innovation Dollar design
The obverse shows the Statue of Liberty in profile with IN GOD WE TRUST and $1. Each reverse honors an innovation or innovator from one state or territory, issued in the order the states joined the Union. The date, mint mark and E PLURIBUS UNUM are lettered on the edge, which is where to look for the mint mark.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | American Innovation Dollar (2018–present) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2018 |
| Mint | Denver Mint |
| Mint mark | "D" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 2,148,525 |
| Face value | $1 |
| Composition | Manganese brass (88.5% copper, 6% zinc, 3.5% manganese, 2% nickel) |
| Weight | 8.1 grams |
| Diameter | 26.49 mm |
| Edge | Lettered with the date, mint mark and E PLURIBUS UNUM |
| Designer | Various artists |
Other 2018 American Innovation Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-P Introductory Innovation Dollar | 2,143,925 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2018-D Introductory Innovation Dollar | 2,148,525 | Circulation strike | – |
| 2018-S Introductory Innovation Dollar Proof | 243,567 | Proof | – |
| 2018-S Introductory Innovation Dollar Reverse Proof | 74,720 | Reverse proof | – |
Mintage: American Innovation dollars (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.