1818 Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent Proof
Proof struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 5 made
- Mintage
- 5
- Metal
- 100% copper
- Weight
- 10.89 g
- Diameter
- 28–29 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 an 1818 Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent Proof worth?
Few coins in the series are harder to find. Even a worn 1818 sells well above face value. The flip side is that counterfeits and altered dates are common, so authentication matters.
What would make yours worth more:
- Grade and, for proofs, strong cameo contrast
- A die variety or minting error
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1818 Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent Proof rare?
- Fairly. The Mint made 5 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1818 Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent?
- No mint mark. All struck in Philadelphia.
- How many 1818 Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent proofs were made?
- 5.
What to check on your 1818
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Judge the grade under good light. Wear first shows on the hair curls, the coronet and the leaves of the wreath. Mint-red coins exist from hoards, but most survivors are brown.
Most surviving coppers from 1818 show some corrosion, scratches or porous surfaces. Smooth, evenly toned coins are much scarcer than the mintage suggests, so surface quality matters as much as the grade. Proofs from 1818 were struck one at a time in small numbers and many were later spent or mishandled. Look for hairlines from cleaning, which lower the grade.
The story of the 1818
Postwar recovery and the Randall Hoard (1816 to 1820)
With the war over and copper flowing again, the Mint introduced Robert Scot's Coronet design in 1816 and coined 2.8 million cents that year. Output stayed strong through 1820, when it reached 4.4 million. Interesting dies from these years include the 1817 with 15 stars, the 1819/8 overdate and the 1820/19 overdate. Proof cents also begin to appear in very small numbers from 1817.
These dates are easier to find in mint state than almost any other early cent, thanks to the Randall Hoard, a group of several thousand uncirculated cents discovered in Georgia after the Civil War. Most were dated 1818 and 1820, with smaller numbers from 1816, 1817 and 1819. Hoard coins usually show red and brown color with spotting and often some flecks. Circulated coins from these years tend to have better copper than the Classic Heads, giving smoother brown surfaces.
How to recognize it
Liberty faces left wearing a coronet inscribed LIBERTY, with 13 stars around her and the date below. Collectors call the early version the Matron Head because of her mature features. The reverse is a continuous wreath around ONE CENT with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the rim. Later dates use a slightly younger portrait and finer details.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent (1816–1839) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1818 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Proof |
| Mintage | 5 |
| Face value | 1¢ |
| Composition | 100% copper |
| Weight | 10.89 grams |
| Diameter | 28–29 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | Robert Scot |
Other 1818 Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1818 Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent | 3,167,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1818 Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent Proof | 5 | Proof | – |
Mintage: United States cent mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.