1930 Wheat Penny Value: How Much is it Worth Today?

Do you own a 1930 wheat penny and wondering how much it might be worth? Maybe you are interested in selling yours and are curious how much it will earn you.

Well, wheat pennies are extremely popular among coin collectors. The fact that the coin commemorates Abraham Lincoln, a favorite American president, makes the Lincoln wheat penny worth collecting.

You’ve come to the right place if you are interested in learning about the 1930 wheat penny value. We shall explore the available varieties and how much they are worth, and also find out about rare errors that might be worth a lot of money.

Let’s jump in!

1930 Wheat Penny Value Chart
Mintmark	Good	Fine	Extremely Fine	Uncirculated
1930 No-mint mark Wheat Penny Brown	$0.10	$0.35	$1.50	$110
1930 No-mint mark Wheat Penny Red-Brown	–	–	–	$60
1930 No-mint mark Wheat Penny Red	–	–	–	$1,950
1930 D Wheat Penny Brown	$0.25	$0.50	$3.25	$100
1930 D Wheat Penny Red-Brown	–	–	–	$200
1930 D Wheat Penny Red	–	–	–	$6,900
1930 S Wheat Penny Brown	$0.25	$0.35	$1.75	$85
1930 S Wheat Penny Red-Brown	–	–	–	$85
1930 S Wheat Penny Red	–	–	–	$110

 

1930 Wheat Penny Specifications

• Category: Lincoln Wheat Pennies
• Mint: Philadelphia, San Francisco, Denver
• Mintage: 221,801,000
• Obverse Designer: Victor David Brenner
• Reverse Designer: Victor David Brenner
• Composition: 95% copper 5% Zinc and Tin
• Fineness: 0
• Weight: 3.11gm
• ASW: 0

The Obverse of 1930 Wheat Penny

The obverse of the 1930 wheat penny features the right-facing, raised portrait of President Abraham Lincoln.

The motto IN GOD WE TRUST is etched at the top of the coin while the word LIBERTY appears on the left side, right behind Lincoln’s back.

The date, 1930, is inscribed on the lower right side of the coin.

The pennies minted in Denver and Francisco have a mint mark D or S respectively right below the date. Those minted in Philadelphia do not have a mintmark.

The Reverse of 1930 Wheat Penny

On the reverse of the 1930 wheat penny, you will spot the coin’s denomination ‘’ONE CENT’’ etched in the middle of the coin.

Two raised wheat stalks flank the denomination on each side of the coin. The coin gets its name from these two wheat stalks, and of course, Lincoln’s image on the obverse side of the coin.

The motto: E PLURIBUS ENUM is etched at the top while the words “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA’’ appear beneath the denomination.

The reverse design remained this way until 1959 when it was replaced by the Lincoln Memorial portrait for the president’s sesquicentennial anniversary.

Check out the video below on the features to look for in a wheat penny to determine if it is worth any money.

1930 Wheat Penny Value and Varieties Guide

The value of a wheat penny from 1930 will depend on the coin’s color, condition and mintmark. There are three varieties of 1930 pennies. These are:

• 1930-P No-mintmark Wheat Penny
• 1930 D Wheat Penny
• 1930 S Wheat Penny

1930-P No Mintmark Wheat Penny

• Type: Lincoln cents, wheat reverse
• Edge: Plain
• Mint mark: None
• Place of minting: Philadelphia
• Year of minting:1930
• Face value: $0.01
• Price: $0.05- $110 (or more)
• Quantity produced: 157,415,000
• Designer: Victor D. Brenner
• Composition: 95% copper 5% tin and zinc
• Mass: 3.11 grams
• Diameter: 1 millimeters

If your penny from 1930 does not have a mintmark, or a capital letter P, D, or S on the obverse side, it was definitely minted in Philadelphia.

More than 155 million of these coins were struck at the Mint that year, so 1930 no-mintmark pennies are not rare at all; you can still easily find them in circulation.

Coloration plays a big role in determining the value of a penny. There are brown, red-brown and red wheat pennies. Copper oxidizes when exposed to air and water and when this happens a coin will take on a brownish tone.

Brown and red-brown pennies are typically widely circulated, while red ones are only relatively circulated or completely uncirculated and haven’t been exposed to the effects of air and water.

Brown pennies are the least desirable and are worth much less. A brown 1930-P wheat penny in good condition is worth $0.01 while one in About Uncirculated (AU 58) condition can fetch up to $4. Uncirculated brown pennies from 1930 are rare and can be worth $110 or more; the most expensive such coin was sold for $595, according to the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS).

Red-brown 1930-P pennies are generally available starting from grade MS61. At this starting point, the coin would be worth about $8 with the value increasing to $60 for an uncirculated coin graded MS66.  A rare variety sold for $432 in 2018.

A red wheat penny is the most desirable. These coins feature the original rd copper color of an uncirculated coin straight from the mint. A red 1930 no-mintmark penny graded MS62 can get you about $12 and upto $1,950 at grade MS67. The most expensive example for a red 1930-P sold for $10,925.

1930-D Wheat Penny Value

• Type: Lincoln cents, wheat reverse
• Edge: Plain
• Mint mark: D
• Place of minting: Denver
• Year of minting:1930
• Face value: $0.01
• Price: $0.05- $110 (or more)
• Quantity produced: 40,100,000
• Designer: Victor D. Brenner
• Composition: 95% copper 5% tin and zinc
• Mass: 3.11 grams
• Diameter: 1 millimeters

The Denver mint struck about 40 million wheat pennies in 1930. You can identify one of these coins by the mintmark D positioned right above the date on the obverse side.

The value of 1930-D wheat pennies also depends on the color and condition. A brown 1930-D in general good condition is worth slightly more than face value at $0.25 while one graded MS60 can fetch as much as $14. In uncirculated condition, a brown coin graded MS66 can give you $100 or more. A rare variety sold for $228 in 2020.

A brown-red 1930-D wheat penny is slightly more valuable than its brown counterpart. Expect to pay or earn as much as $22 for a brown-red penny graded MS61. The value can shoot to as much as $200 ayt grade MS66.

If you happen to have a sparkling red penny from 1930, you might sell or buy it for more than you would a brown or red-brown wheat penny. A red wheat penny grade MS62 is worth about $30 but given how valuable and in-demand these coins are, the value can appreciate to $6,900 for one graded MS67 in mint state, uncirculated condition. The most expensive example was sold for a whopping $33,600 at auction.

1930-S Wheat Penny Value

• Type: Lincoln cents, wheat reverse
• Edge: Plain
• Mint mark: S
• Place of minting: San Francisco
• Year of minting:1930
• Face value: $0.01
• Price: $0.05- $110 (or more)
• Quantity produced: 24,286,000
• Designer: Victor D. Brenner
• Composition: 95% copper 5% tin and zinc
• Mass: 3.11 grams
• Diameter: 1 millimeters

The San Francisco mint struck only about 24 million wheat pennies in 1930, a much lower number of coins than the ones struck in Philadelphia and Denver separately. Because of the low mintage, the 1930-S wheat pennies are more valuable than the no-mintmark and D pennies.

A brown 1930-S wheat penny in a generally good condition is worth about $0.25 while one graded MS60 can fetch up to $10 while one in uncirculated condition at grade MS66 can bring in up to $85. A rare variety was auctioned for $288 in 2010.

On the other hand, a red-brown penny graded MS61 is worth $13.50. A similar coin graded MS66 can get you up to $110. The most expensive specimen sold for $672.

A red 1930-S is the most valuable of all wheat pennies minted that year. At just grade MS64, such a coin can get you as much as $50 while one in gem condition can fetch $11,500. In 2004, a red 1930-S whet penny in gem condition was auctioned for $33,350.

1930 Wheat Penny Grading

Three key factors come into play when grading wheat pennies: the color, condition, and mintmark. These grading criteria apply to all wheat pennies, including the ones minted in 1930 in Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco.

Brown and red-brown pennies tend to have a discoloration that dulls the coin and makes it less attractive. Red coins, with their sparkling surface, are more attractive and therefore fetch more in the numismatic market.

Check out the video below to learn more about how color and mintmarks can affect the value of your wheat pennies.

1930 Wheat Penny Error Lists

The coin minting process is not error-proof. In fact, all kinds of mistakes and omissions happen, resulting in coins that look different from the intended original coin. The value of these error coins tends to be slightly higher than the regular coins.

Here are the most common errors you may find in 1930 wheat pennies:

1930 Wheat Penny Die Crack Error

During the minting process, mint workers use a coin die to press the design onto the blank planchet to come up with a legal tender coin.

With time, these dies wear out and even develop breaks and cracks. During the minting process, these crack and breaks can be impressed on the blank planchet, resulting in a coin with a crack or fissure thus the name die crack error.

Some cracks are subtle and you would need a magnifying  glass to identify it on a penny. Coins with more visible cracks, chips or breaks fetch more money, with some die crack errors bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In general, a wheat penny die crack error coins is worth between $4 and $105 or more depending on how visible the error is; the more visible the error, the more valuable the penny.

Of course, the color and overall condition will affect the value of your error coin.

1930 Wheat Penny Repunched Mintmark

A faulty die can cause the design to appear punched two times. In particular, with a repunched mintmark error, the doubling can be seen with the mintmark letter. The repunching makes it look as though the mint mark has been struck twice, one over another.

Some 1930 wheat pennies struck in Denver and San Francisco have the repunched mintmark error. Sometimes, it can be difficult for the untrained eye to notice the doubling on the mintmark; you might need a coin coupe to spot the repunched D mintmark on the penny.

Regardless of whether the coin is brown red-brown or brown, a repunched mintmark can be valuable. For example, a repunched mintmark with brown coloration sold at $350. At grade AU (About Uncirculated) 58, such an error coin would fetch about $150 but this value can go as high as $1,000 at grade MS65 or higher for red pennies.

Just like with the Denver pennies, spotting the repunched mintmark on a wheatie from San Francisco can be difficult without a coin loupe. You will see repunched mintmark right behind the first mintmark. Such an error can be worth between $60 and $100 depending on the penny’s condition.

1930 Lincoln Wheat Penny Struck-Through Error

A stuck through error happens when the die does not fully transfer the design to the blank planchet, resulting in a struck through effect.

Grease and dust can come between the coin die and planchet, therefore blurring the design transferred onto the coin’s obverse or reverse.

Struck through errors are very common because dust and grease are common and almost inevitable during the coin striking process.

A 1930 wheat penny with a struck-through error is worth between $15 and $100 but the value can increase to a couple hundred dollar depending on how much blurring the error caused as well as the coin’s condition and color.

1930 Wheat Penny FAQ

Why is the 1930 penny rare?

The 1930 wheat penny is generally not considered a rare coin. Hundreds of millions of these coins were minted at the Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Denver mints and soon after released into circulation, so finding a 1930 wheat penny is relatively easy even in uncirculated condition. That said, 1930 penny error coins can be rare and often fetch so much more than the coin’s face value.

Is a 1930 wheat penny worth keeping?

A 1930 wheat penny is historically special as it features the portrait of Abraham Lincoln, one of the most adored U.S. presidents. It is also generally a beautiful coin that is on demand among collectors. Another reason you want to keep your 1930 wheat penny is that the coin might be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars if it’s a red colored, sparkling gem.