1963 US Coins: Values & Mintages

US coinage in 1963

The last Franklin half dollars were struck. President Kennedy was assassinated in November and the Kennedy half dollar was authorized weeks later.

Last year of the Franklin Half Dollar.

How many coins were made in 1963

Counting the circulation issues on this page, US mints struck 3,824,699,866 coins dated 1963 across 10 issues. That is close to the 1962 total of 3,393,069,537. In 1964 the figure rose to 13,240,528,403.

No earlier year on our list comes close: it was the largest output up to that point.

By mint: Denver 2,674,683,866 (70%, up from 2,571,320,537) and Philadelphia 1,150,016,000 (30%, up from 821,749,000).

Those coins held about 109,615,809 troy ounces of pure silver.

1963 coins by denomination

Cents: 2,528,130,400 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Lincoln Memorial Cent, up 5.4% on 1962. The scarcest is the 1963 (754,110,000) and the most plentiful the 1963-D (1,774,020,400).

Nickels: 452,605,460 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Jefferson Nickel, up 20% on 1962. The scarcest is the 1963 (175,776,000) and the most plentiful the 1963-D (276,829,460).

Dimes: 545,126,530 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Roosevelt Dime, up 34% on 1962. The scarcest is the 1963 (123,650,000) and the most plentiful the 1963-D (421,476,530).

Quarters: 209,604,184 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Washington Quarter, up 28% on 1962. The scarcest is the 1963 (74,316,000) and the most plentiful the 1963-D (135,288,184).

Half Dollars: 89,233,292 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Franklin Half Dollar, up 97% on 1962. The scarcest is the 1963 (22,164,000) and the most plentiful the 1963-D (67,069,292).

Every 1963 circulation issue at a glance

• 1963 Franklin Half Dollar: 22,164,000 struck, more than 85% of the series' 35 issues, up from 9,714,000 in 1962.
• 1963-D Franklin Half Dollar: 67,069,292 struck, the highest mintage of the series, up from 35,473,281 in 1962.
• 1963 Washington Quarter: 74,316,000 struck, 71st lowest of 144 in the series, up from 36,156,000 in 1962.
• 1963 Roosevelt Dime: 123,650,000 struck, 40th lowest of 168 in the series, up from 72,450,000 in 1962.
• 1963-D Washington Quarter: 135,288,184 struck, more than 58% of the series' 144 issues, similar to 1962.
• 1963 Jefferson Nickel: 175,776,000 struck, 69th lowest of 146 in the series, up from 97,384,000 in 1962.
• 1963-D Jefferson Nickel: 276,829,460 struck, more than 54% of the series' 146 issues, similar to 1962.
• 1963-D Roosevelt Dime: 421,476,530 struck, 63rd lowest of 168 in the series, up from 334,948,380 in 1962.
• 1963 Lincoln Memorial Cent: 754,110,000 struck, 13th lowest of 104 in the series, similar to 1962.
• 1963-D Lincoln Memorial Cent: 1,774,020,400 struck, 21st lowest of 104 in the series, similar to 1962.

Lincoln Memorial Cent: The Memorial reverse and the coin shortage

For the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's birth, Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial reverse replaced the wheat ears in 1959. A tiny statue of Lincoln is visible inside the building, so the cent shows his likeness on both sides. Mintages climbed above a billion at Denver every year of this era.

The main variety is the 1960 small date and large date. The Mint changed the date punch early in the year. Philadelphia small date coins are the scarcer issue. The 1960-D also has a small date over large date variety. A nationwide coin shortage in the early 1960s, blamed on vending machines and hoarding of silver coins, led the Mint to keep striking cents dated 1964 into 1965. Proofs were struck at Philadelphia through 1964. Red uncirculated coins are plentiful.

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Jefferson Nickel: Coin shortage years and no mint marks

Output grew rapidly through the late 1950s and early 1960s, led by Denver, which struck more than 280 million in 1962. A nationwide coin shortage in the early 1960s, blamed on vending machines, hoarding and a booming economy, led the Mint to strike more than 2.8 billion nickels dated 1964, with production of that date continuing into 1965.

From 1965 to 1967 the Mint removed mint marks from all coins to discourage hoarding. Special Mint Sets with satin finish coins replaced proof sets. In 1966 Felix Schlag's initials, FS, were added below the bust, more than 25 years after his design first appeared. Coins from this era are abundant and rarely carry a premium unless they show full steps, a strong proof-like finish or a notable error.

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Roosevelt Dime: Rising output and the last silver dimes

From 1956 only Philadelphia and Denver struck dimes for circulation and their combined output climbed almost every year. Denver passed 200 million in 1960 and reached about 421 million in 1963 as vending machines, a growing population and a national coin shortage drove demand. The 1958 Philadelphia issue of about 31.9 million is the smallest of these years.

The 1964 dimes broke every record, with more than 2.2 billion struck at the two mints. Rising silver prices led the Treasury to keep striking coins dated 1964 well into 1965 so that hoarders could not single out a final silver date. Proof dimes from the Philadelphia sets of these years are plentiful, though a 1960 proof with a doubled die obverse is a known variety. Every dime of the era is 90 percent silver, so even worn pieces are collected for their metal.

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Washington Quarter: Postwar silver to the end

Production slowed after the war. San Francisco made no quarters in 1949 and struck its last S-marked circulating quarters in 1954. The 1955-D, at 3,182,400, is the lowest mintage of these years. The 1958 Philadelphia run of 6,360,000 is also low. The 1950-D/S and 1950-S/D varieties show one mint mark punched over another and are the best known varieties of the period.

Mintages rose through the late 1950s and early 1960s, then exploded in 1964 when more than 1.26 billion were struck at Philadelphia and Denver. Quarters dated 1964 continued to be made into 1966 to frustrate hoarders. Proofs resumed in 1950 and topped one million in most years from 1957. Every quarter of these years is 90 percent silver and weighs 6.25 grams. Worn examples still turn up in old jars and are usually sold for their silver.

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Franklin Half Dollar: Higher mintages and the end of Franklin

Demand for coins climbed in the early 1960s. Denver struck 67,069,292 halves in 1963, the largest Franklin mintage. A 1961 proof variety shows a doubled die reverse with strong doubling in E PLURIBUS UNUM and in the lettering. The 1963 Philadelphia mintage of more than 25 million was also a record for that mint.

After President Kennedy was killed in November 1963, Congress quickly approved a new half dollar in his honor. The Franklin design therefore ended after only 16 years. Late Franklin halves were widely saved and are common in mint state, though coins with sharp bell lines from 1960 to 1963 are in demand. Proofs of these years were made in the millions. All are 90 percent silver.

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