1930-S

San Francisco's contribution to the 1930 dime run totaled only 1,843,000 pieces, one of the lowest figures in the entire Winged Liberty Head series. The branch mint had operated at reduced capacity throughout the late 1920s, and the Depression compressed output further. Most of these coins entered circulation in the Pacific Coast economy, where they passed through hands relentlessly during the lean years. Surviving examples in worn grades are not difficult to locate, but uncirculated pieces represent a genuine collecting challenge. Bank-wrapped rolls from 1930-S were rarely set aside as souvenirs, and the few that survived have been broken up by generations of date collectors hunting nicer examples. The result is a date that looks ordinary on paper yet behaves like a conditional rarity in higher Mint State grades.

Weinman's design appears here with the typical strike characteristics of San Francisco production from this era. Composition followed the standard 90% silver and 10% copper alloy, with each coin weighing 2.5 grams on a 17.9 millimeter planchet. The reeded edge and small "S" mintmark on the reverse to the left of the fasces base complete the identification. Full Bands (FB) specimens, where the two horizontal bands across the middle of the fasces show complete separation, are extremely tough on this date. San Francisco dies during 1930 frequently produced soft central strikes, leaving the bands merged or only partially separated even on coins that otherwise grade in the upper Mint State range. The Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) populations show a steep drop-off when FB enters the equation, with high-grade FB examples commanding multiples of their non-FB counterparts at auction.

Heritage Auctions and Stack's Bowers have recorded notable prices for gem FB pieces, with MS66 FB examples climbing into four figures. The combination of low mintage and Depression-era circulation makes this a date where condition rarity dominates collector demand. See the full Mercury Dime series history.