1930 US Coins: Values & Mintages

US coinage in 1930

The last Standing Liberty quarters were struck. The economic depression cut demand for new coins sharply.

Last year of the Standing Liberty Quarter.

The Mint in the 1930s

The Great Depression cut demand for new coins to some of the lowest levels of the century. Several issues from 1931 to 1933 have tiny mintages for the time, including the 1931-S cent and the 1932-D and 1932-S Washington quarters. Gold coins were recalled in 1933 and US gold coinage for circulation ended.

Production recovered later in the decade as the economy improved. The Washington quarter, introduced in 1932, became permanent; the Peace dollar ended in 1935; and the Jefferson nickel replaced the Buffalo nickel in 1938. Proof coins were sold to collectors again from 1936 and coin collecting grew quickly as a hobby, helped by inexpensive coin boards for filling in dates and mint marks.

How many coins were made in 1930

Counting the circulation issues on this page, US mints struck 266,056,000 coins dated 1930 across 11 issues. That is 31% fewer than in 1929 (384,388,950). In 1931 the figure fell to 35,196,750.

It was the smallest year since 1924.

By mint: Philadelphia 192,666,000 (72%, down from 260,597,750), Denver 40,100,000 (15%, down from 57,493,200) and San Francisco 33,290,000 (13%, down from 66,298,000).

Those coins held about 1,922,992 troy ounces of pure silver and 118,034 troy ounces of gold.

1930 coins by denomination

Cents: 221,801,000 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Lincoln Wheat Cent, down 20% on 1929. The scarcest is the 1930-S (24,286,000) and the most plentiful the 1930 (157,415,000).

Nickels: 28,284,000 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Buffalo Nickel, down 46% on 1929. The scarcest is the 1930-S (5,435,000) and the most plentiful the 1930 (22,849,000).

Dimes: 8,613,000 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Mercury Dime, down 76% on 1929. The scarcest is the 1930-S (1,843,000) and the most plentiful the 1930 (6,770,000).

Quarters: 7,188,000 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Standing Liberty Quarter, down 50% on 1929. The scarcest is the 1930-S (1,556,000) and the most plentiful the 1930 (5,632,000).

Gold Coins: 170,000 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Indian Head Eagle and Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, down 90% on 1929. The scarcest is the 1930-S (74,000) and the most plentiful the 1930-S (96,000).

Every 1930 circulation issue at a glance

• 1930-S Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle: 74,000 struck, 5th lowest of 52 in the series, down from 3,107,000 in 1927.
• 1930-S Indian Head Eagle: 96,000 struck, 8th lowest of 31 in the series, down from 126,500 in 1920.
• 1930-S Standing Liberty Quarter: 1,556,000 struck, 7th lowest of 37 in the series, similar to 1929.
• 1930-S Mercury Dime: 1,843,000 struck, 7th lowest of 77 in the series, down from 4,730,000 in 1929.
• 1930-S Buffalo Nickel: 5,435,000 struck, 17th lowest of 64 in the series, down from 7,754,000 in 1929.
• 1930 Standing Liberty Quarter: 5,632,000 struck, more than 56% of the series' 37 issues, down from 11,140,000 in 1929.
• 1930 Mercury Dime: 6,770,000 struck, 18th lowest of 77 in the series, down from 25,970,000 in 1929.
• 1930 Buffalo Nickel: 22,849,000 struck, more than 73% of the series' 64 issues, down from 36,446,000 in 1929.
• 1930-S Lincoln Wheat Cent: 24,286,000 struck, 34th lowest of 140 in the series, down from 50,148,000 in 1929.
• 1930-D Lincoln Wheat Cent: 40,100,000 struck, 49th lowest of 140 in the series, similar to 1929.
• 1930 Lincoln Wheat Cent: 157,415,000 struck, more than 65% of the series' 140 issues, similar to 1929.

Lincoln Wheat Cent: The Depression low and the late 1930s boom

The Depression cut cent demand sharply. Production fell to 19 million in Philadelphia in 1931. San Francisco struck just 866,000, creating the 1931-S, a key date that many people saved at the time, so it is more available in uncirculated grades than its mintage suggests. Output stayed low in 1932 and 1933, with no San Francisco cents in either year. Recovery began in 1934, when Philadelphia struck 219 million.

Proof cents returned in 1936, first with a satin finish and later with a brilliant finish. The 1936 also has a doubled die obverse. Output climbed through the late 1930s and topped 887 million in Philadelphia in 1941 as the defense buildup increased spending. Because collecting albums became popular in this decade, many rolls were saved, so uncirculated red coins from 1934 onward are much easier to find than earlier dates.

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Buffalo Nickel: Branch mint keys and soft strikes

No nickels were struck in 1922. Production resumed in 1923. San Francisco struck small numbers in several years, creating the 1923-S, 1924-S and 1926-S semi-keys. The 1926-S, at 970,000, is the lowest mintage regular issue of the series. Denver and San Francisco coins from these years are known for weak strikes, especially on the bison's head and the date.

The Depression cut demand in 1930 and 1931. In 1931 only San Francisco struck nickels, 1.2 million pieces. The coin was saved by many people at the time. Survivors from the 1920s are usually found with worn or missing dates. Coins with full horn detail carry a premium. Dateless Buffalo nickels from this era are often treated with acid to reveal the date.

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Standing Liberty Quarter: Recessed dates protect the year

In 1925 the Mint cut the date into a recessed area of the step, so it no longer stood above the surface and survived heavy wear. Quarters of 1925 to 1930 therefore usually show full dates even in the lowest grades, which makes them much easier to identify than earlier coins.

The 1927-S, with 396,000 struck, is the key of the recessed date years and is very rare with a full head. The 1926-D and 1926-S are also tough with full heads because of poor striking. The 1929-D, 1929-S and 1930-S are more common and make good choices for a type set. Production ended in 1930 at Philadelphia and San Francisco. No quarters were struck in 1931 before the Washington quarter took over in 1932.

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Indian Head Eagle: The final eagles and the gold recall

San Francisco struck 96,000 eagles in 1930. Almost all were melted, leaving the 1930-S a rarity. No eagles were made in 1931. Philadelphia's 1932 mintage of 4,463,000 was the largest of the series. Many 1932 eagles were exported before the recall, which makes the 1932 the most common date today and a favorite for type sets.

The 1933, with 312,500 struck, was made early in the year shortly before the gold recall under Executive Order 6102 of April 1933. A small number left the Mint and are legal to own, but nearly the entire mintage was melted. It is one of the great rarities among twentieth century gold coins. Counterfeits of the 1930-S and 1933 exist, so certification is important. No eagles were struck after 1933.

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Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle: Late dates and the 1933 double eagle

Double eagles from 1929 to 1932 were struck in good numbers but few were ever released. The 1929, 1930-S, 1931, 1931-D and 1932 are all rare because nearly every coin was melted after the gold recall. Survivors are mostly uncirculated and well struck, since they never saw use in commerce. The 1931-D had a mintage of just 106,500. Counterfeits of these late dates exist, so buy them only certified.

The 1933, with 445,500 struck, was never issued. A few left the Mint unofficially and the government pursued them for decades. Only one example, once owned by King Farouk of Egypt, has been legally cleared for private ownership. The rest of the mintage was melted. The series ended with these coins because gold coinage for circulation stopped in 1933.

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Mercury Dime: The late 1920s and the Depression

Philadelphia struck between 19,480,000 and 32,160,000 dimes a year from 1926 to 1929, while Denver and San Francisco usually made between about 4.2 and 7.4 million each. The exception is the 1926-S. San Francisco produced only 1,520,000 that year, the smallest mintage of the decade after the 1921 issues. Most survivors are worn and softly struck. It is a semi-key and scarce in any grade above Fine.

The Depression then cut demand sharply. Philadelphia's output fell to 6,770,000 in 1930 and 3,150,000 in 1931. San Francisco struck 1,843,000 and 1,800,000. Denver skipped 1930 entirely before making 1,260,000 in 1931, the third lowest Denver figure of the series after the 1916-D and 1921-D. The 1931-D is counted among the semi-keys. As with 1923, there is no genuine 1930-D dime; any coin with that date and mint mark is a fake.

Dimes from these years usually turn up in Good to Fine. Their low mintages make the 1930-S, 1931-D and 1931-S more desirable than the Philadelphia dates in every grade. For the common dates of 1926 to 1929, condition and strike decide the premium. Look at the center bands of the fasces and the hair above Liberty's forehead. Then make sure the mint mark at the lower left of the fasces is crisp and properly placed. Every dime of these years is 90% silver, so even the most worn common date is worth more than face value.

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