1930 Wheat Penny Coin Value: How Much Is It Worth?
A 1930 Wheat Penny in circulated condition starts around $0.30 in Good-4 and can reach up to $38 in MS63, depending on which mint struck it. Those figures cover the three regular circulation branches — Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco.
Proofs were not produced for this date. Major varieties and errors carry separate pricing.
Original surfaces, color, and the degree of wear all affect what a buyer will actually pay.
Fast Way to Identify Your 1930 Wheat Penny
Snap a clear photo of the front and back of your 1930 cent and upload both images for a preliminary identification. This helps narrow down the mint branch and spot obvious features.
It is not a substitute for professional authentication or precise grading, but it gives you a solid starting point before deciding whether to pursue a formal opinion.
1930 Wheat Penny Value
Upload both sides of your 1930 Wheat Penny.
Front Obverse
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Back Reverse
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Which 1930 Wheat Penny Versions Are Worth Money?
- The 1930-D reaches the highest guide value of the three mints, listed at $38 in MS63, making uncirculated Denver coins the ones to examine closely.
- All three mints share the same $0.30 floor in lower circulated grades, so mint state preservation is where the real separation happens.
- A confirmed repunched mintmark on a D or S coin can carry a separate premium assessed individually by severity and authentication.
- Original, problem-free surfaces — no cleaning, no corrosion, no damage — preserve full collector appeal at every grade level.
Step 1: Identify Your 1930 Wheat Penny Mint Mark and Version
Flip your coin to the obverse and look just below the date. No letter means Philadelphia.
A small "D" means Denver. A small "S" means San Francisco.
That single detail splits your coin into three different value tracks, so get it right first.
All three mints struck these in 95% copper with 5% tin and zinc, weighing about 3.11 grams on a plain edge. The design is the familiar Lincoln portrait on the front with two wheat stalks framing ONE CENT on the reverse.
One variety to be aware of: a repunched mintmark exists on certain Denver and San Francisco coins. A genuine RPM shows remnants of a second, misaligned punch position near the primary mintmark.
This is different from the slight shelf or flat doubling caused by machine doubling, which adds no collector premium. If the secondary image looks like a shadow rather than a distinct outline, it is probably not a true RPM.
Step 2: Check Your 1930 Wheat Penny Grade
Start with Lincoln's cheekbone and jawline. On a well-worn coin those areas blend together into a flat plane, landing you around Good-4 to Very Good.
As you move up the scale, the individual hair strands above the ear become sharper and the wheat grains on the reverse stay distinct.
A coin grading Fine still shows clear separation in the jaw but the hair detail is shallow. Very Fine brings back most hair lines.
Extremely Fine keeps nearly full detail with just minor softening on the highest points.
Mint State means no wear at all, but be careful — a weak original strike can mimic wear by leaving soft spots on the high points. Check for cartwheel luster across the fields before concluding the coin circulated.
Color matters separately from grade. Red, red-brown, and brown designations affect value but do not change the wear grade.
The guide prices referenced here do not specify color, so treat them as general anchors rather than certified full-red quotes. Use the comparison image to match your coin's wear against known examples at each grade level.
Cleaning and corrosion also reduce appeal and should be evaluated independently.
Step 3: Check 1930 Wheat Penny Value by Mint and Version
1930 Wheat Penny
The 1930 Philadelphia cent carries no mintmark. It is the most straightforward branch of the three.
In well-worn condition at Good-4, a guide estimate places it around $0.30, while an MS63 example is listed at roughly $12.
Look below the date on the obverse: if the space is clean with no letter, you have the Philly issue. Philadelphia did not use a mintmark on cents during this era.
Because no mintmark exists, there is no possibility of a repunched mintmark variety on this branch.
| Range | Grade | Price | Auction Records | Appraisal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO | PO 1 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| FR | FR 2 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| AG | AG 3 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| G | G 4 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| G 6 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| VG | VG 8 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| VG 10 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| F | F 12 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| F 15 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| VF | VF 20 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| VF 25 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| VF 30 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| VF 35 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| XF | XF 40 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| XF 45 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| AU | AU 50 | Coin Identifier | ||
| AU 53 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| AU 55 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| AU 58 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS | MS 60 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| MS 61 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| MS 62 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| MS 63 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| MS 64 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS 65 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| MS 66 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS 67 | — | — | — | |
| MS 68 | — | — | — | |
| MS 69 | — | — | — | |
| MS 70 | — | — | — |
1930 Wheat Penny — D
The 1930-D carries a small "D" mintmark below the date. According to USA Coin Book, it is listed at about $0.30 in Good-4 and roughly $38 at MS63, making it the priciest of the three regular branches in uncirculated condition.
When examining the mintmark, look closely for any trace of a second punch position. A genuine repunched mintmark shows a distinct remnant outline that does not simply look like a flat shelf or shadow.
If you think you see doubling on the D, compare it at magnification to a known normal example before drawing conclusions.
Coin Value Lookup is a good place to look up guides for other dates and mints in the Wheat cent series if you are working through a collection.
| Range | Grade | Price | Auction Records | Appraisal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO | PO 1 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| FR | FR 2 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| AG | AG 3 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| G | G 4 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| G 6 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| VG | VG 8 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| VG 10 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| F | F 12 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| F 15 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| VF | VF 20 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| VF 25 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| VF 30 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| VF 35 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| XF | XF 40 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| XF 45 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| AU | AU 50 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| AU 53 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| AU 55 | Coin Identifier | |||
| AU 58 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS | MS 60 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| MS 61 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| MS 62 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| MS 63 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| MS 64 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS 65 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| MS 66 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| MS 67 | — | — | — | |
| MS 68 | — | — | — | |
| MS 69 | — | — | — | |
| MS 70 | — | — | — |
1930 Wheat Penny — S
The 1930-S has a small "S" below the date, struck at San Francisco. Guide estimates put it at about $0.30 in Good-4 and around $15 in MS63, sitting between the Philadelphia and Denver branches in uncirculated value.
As with the Denver issue, an RPM variety exists for this mint. You need to see a clear second punch outline near the S — not just a mushy letter or a filled-in strike.
San Francisco cents from this period can sometimes show a slightly softer strike overall, so do not confuse original striking weakness for wear.
| Range | Grade | Price | Auction Records | Appraisal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO | PO 1 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| FR | FR 2 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| AG | AG 3 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| G | G 4 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| G 6 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| VG | VG 8 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| VG 10 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| F | F 12 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| F 15 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| VF | VF 20 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| VF 25 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| VF 30 | Coin Identifier | |||
| VF 35 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| XF | XF 40 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| XF 45 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| AU | AU 50 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| AU 53 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| AU 55 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| AU 58 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| MS | MS 60 | — | Coin Identifier | |
| MS 61 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| MS 62 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS 63 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS 64 | Coin Identifier | |||
| MS 65 | — | Coin Identifier | ||
| MS 66 | — | — | — | |
| MS 67 | — | — | — | |
| MS 68 | — | — | — | |
| MS 69 | — | — | — | |
| MS 70 | — | — | — |
1930 Wheat Penny Error List
1. 1930 Wheat Penny — Repunched Mintmark
A repunched mintmark occurs when the mintmark punch was applied more than once at slightly different positions, leaving a visible remnant of the first impression alongside the final one. This applies only to the D and S branches — Philadelphia had no mintmark to repunch.
To spot it, examine the mintmark under magnification. You should see a distinct secondary outline or notch that does not match the primary letter's position.
Compare your coin to a confirmed normal mintmark at the same magnification so you can tell the difference.
Machine doubling is the common lookalike. It produces a flat, shelf-like distortion rather than a clearly separated second image.
Die chips or corrosion near the letter can also mimic an RPM. Value depends on the specific variety, its severity, overall coin grade, and third-party authentication, so each coin needs individual assessment.
2. 1930 Wheat Penny — Off-Center Strike
An off-center strike happens when the planchet is not properly seated between the dies, producing a displaced design and an unstruck crescent of blank metal along one edge. On a 1930 Wheat cent, the key detail is whether the date remains fully visible — that is the single biggest factor in collector interest for this type of error.
Look for the design to be shifted in one direction with a smooth, featureless area on the opposite side. A small percentage off-center adds modest interest; a dramatic shift with a readable date is considerably more desirable.
Do not confuse this with a straight clip, a misaligned die that still covers the full planchet, or post-mint damage from a vise or press. Each coin's value depends on its authenticated identity, the degree of misalignment, and overall condition.
3. 1930 Wheat Penny — BIE Die Break
A BIE die break shows up as a small raised vertical line or blob between the letters B and E in LIBERTY on the obverse. It is caused by a crack or chip in the die that fills with metal during striking, leaving a raised mark on the finished coin.
To check for it, look at LIBERTY under magnification. The raised feature should be metallic, part of the coin's surface, and positioned between B and E.
It often resembles a tiny capital I, which is where the nickname comes from.
Dirt lodged between the letters, a fine scratch, or a piece of debris stuck to the surface can all look similar. The genuine article is raised metal continuous with the coin's field, not sitting on top or incised into it.
Pricing depends on the clarity of the break and the coin's overall grade, assessed on an individual basis.
