1963-D Franklin Half Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the Denver Mint · 67,069,292 made
- Mintage
- 67,069,292
- Metal
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Weight
- 12.5 g
- Diameter
- 30.6 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1963-D Franklin Half Dollar worth?
In worn condition it trades for about its silver content, 0.3617 troy ounces. Uncirculated coins with full luster or attractive toning sell for more.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- Full bell lines (FBL)
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1963-D Franklin Half Dollar rare?
- No. With 67 million made, it's one of the most common Franklin Half Dollars.
- Is the 1963-D Franklin Half Dollar silver?
- Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.3617 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1963 Franklin Half Dollar?
- On the reverse, above the Liberty Bell's beam. Philadelphia halves have no mint mark. On this coin the mark is D, for Denver.
- Which Denver dates near 1963 are scarcer?
- The 1959-D at 13,053,750, the 1960-D at 18,215,812, the 1961-D at 20,276,442, plus 2 more. So the 1963-D is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1963-D Franklin Half Dollar coins were made?
- 67,069,292.
What to check on your 1963-D
- Make sure the mint mark really is a D. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1963 (22 million made).
- Don't clean it. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1963 Franklin Half Dollar Proof (3,075,645 made) is the one to compare with.
- Judge the grade under good light. The lower bell lines are the key: Full Bell Lines coins sell for several times the price of ordinary ones.
Circulated examples are usually traded for their silver content. Pick out the best ones: original luster and attractive toning lift a coin above melt, while cleaned coins lose most of their collector value.
The story of the 1963-D
Denver made 67,069,292 in 1963, up from 35 million in 1962. It was also the last year of the series.
It was the big producer of the year, well ahead of 1963 (22 million).
Of the 14 Franklin Half Dollars Denver struck between 1948 and 1963, none was made in bigger numbers. The scarcest Denver issue is the 1948-D at 4,028,600. No Franklin Half Dollar of the 1960s had a bigger run.
Higher mintages and the end of Franklin (1960 to 1963)
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.
Elsewhere in 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.
How to recognize it
John Sinnock's portrait shows Benjamin Franklin facing right with LIBERTY above, IN GOD WE TRUST below and the date to the right. The reverse shows the Liberty Bell, crack included, with a small eagle to the right. The mint mark is above the bell's beam. Collectors look for "full bell lines", where the horizontal lines at the bottom of the bell are complete.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Franklin Half Dollar (1948–1963) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1963 |
| Mint | Denver Mint |
| Mint mark | "D" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 67,069,292 |
| Face value | 50¢ |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Weight | 12.5 grams |
| Diameter | 30.6 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Silver content | 0.3617 troy oz (11.250 g) |
| Designer | John R. Sinnock (completed by Gilroy Roberts) |
Other 1963 Franklin Half Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 Franklin Half Dollar | 22,164,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
| 1963 Franklin Half Dollar Proof | 3,075,645 | Proof | 0.3617 oz |
| 1963-D Franklin Half Dollar | 67,069,292 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
Mintage: United States half dollar mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.