The very high mintage of this date was based on an earlier level of demand that simply vanished during the course of 1930. The Mint Director's Annual Report sums up the situation during the first half of 1930: "Continued large demand for 1-cent and 5-cent coins ... featured the fiscal year ended June 30, 1930. Overtime operation was required at the Philadelphia mint to meet this demand ..."
With the economy collapsing in 1930, many of these cents remained idle for two or more years before finally being withdrawn from Treasury vaults. Fully red gems are plentiful, due in no small part to this delayed release.
Most 1930(P) cents are well struck from dies having little or only moderate wear. Numeral 3 in the date should have had a long tail to be in conformance with the adjacent 9, but the Mint failed to recognize this deficiency until 1934's cent coinage.
Mintage:
| Philadelphia | Denver | San Francisco |
| 157,415,000 | 40,100,000 | 24,286,000 |