Are you a passionate coin collector? If you have a 1963 half-dollar coin, you have stumbled upon the perfect article for all the details on its value. Even if you already don’t have this coin but have a budding interest in getting your hands on one, it is a great idea to update yourself on the overall market value and whether it’s worth it. In this mini guide, we are going to comprehensively review all the essential details about the 1963 half-dollar coin, including its varieties and other significant aspects.
So, let’s get started and learn the actual worth of the 1963 half-dollar coin.
Let’s start with some basics.
1963 Half Dollar Details
- Category: Half Dollar
- Face Value: 0.50 USD
- Mints: Philadelphia
- Total mintage: 22,164,000
- Observe designer: John R. Sinnock
- Reverse designer: John R. Sinnock
- Edge: Reeded
- Diameter: 30.6 mm
- Thickness: 2.15 mm
- Fineness: 0.9000
- Composition: Silver 90%, 10% Copper
- Weight: 12.5000 gg
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1963 Half Dollar Coin Value Chart
Below are the values for wholesale purposes, and you can use this chart as a guide for determining or narrowing the broad selling range for the 1963 half-dollar coins.
| Mint Mark | Extremely Fine | MS63 | MS65 | MS67 | MS69 |
| 1963 (P) No Mint Mark Half Dollar Coin | $9.90 | $13 to $21 | $24 to $34 | $2500 to $2850 | x |
| 1963 (P) Proof Half Dollar Coin Value | x | $19 to $21.6 | $20 to $24 | $28 to $33.6 | $290 to $348 |
| 1963 D Half Dollar Coin Value | $9.90 | $13 to $21 | $24 to $34 | $3000 to $3450 | x |
There are two basic types of 1963 half-dollar coins, the first one is the bullion piece that has been traded and cost approximately $9.90, and that’s the lowest you can expect them to be. The other type includes the valuable ones that usually collectors are drooling over, and these are marketed at a much higher price than the actual worth of silver in them.
1963 Half Dollar Value and Varieties Guides
If you have 1963 half-dollar coins, you can use a simple process to make an assessment of their overall worth in case you want to put them for sale.
- The first thing that you need to do is to consider the mintmark variety, as well as the date. If your coin is valuable enough and worthy for a collector, you can identify the mintmark and date the coin was struck. So, this is the first thing to figure out on the coin.
- The next is to asses the grading conditions of the 1963 half-dollar coin. You can do this by comparing the ones you own to images of collectibles and bullion coins. Mainly this has to be a subjective assessment that you need to make.
- Lastly, you should always check the coins for any special marks or features. 1963 half-dollar coins were the last ones in the half-dollar series, so there are many collectors interested in such special coins, and quite a few ‘struck dates’ are heavily sought after. For your coins to qualify as a premium, they must be well-preserved.
1963 (P) No Mint Mark Half Dollar Coin Value
- Category: Half Dollar,
- Type: Proof
- Edge: Reeded
- Mint Mark: There is no mark on the Reverse side
- Place of Minting: Philadelphia Mint
- Year of Minting: 1963
- $ price: 8.75 USD to 11.25 USD
- Quantity Produced: 22,164,000
- Designer: John R. Sinnock
The 1963 Philadelphia Mint Half-Dollar Coin is a classic and highly sought-after item for collectors hunting for mid-century American coinage. Approximately 90% of these coins have since been melted down due to their silver content. This leaves a limited number of these coins available today.
Back in 1963, the Philadelphia mint wasn’t at its peak mintage with the 1963 half-dollar coin series. In total, Philadephia mint struck about 22,164,000 half-dollar coins, and the average cost range for the circulated coins was around 10 USD, but if the coins were in an excellent state, the cost could be as high as 340 USD.
But there are some extremely high-quality specimens of 1963 Philadelphia Mint half-dollar coins with no mint mark, and these ultra-premium coins can be sold for as high as 2,850 USD. Although, if you can get your hands on the no-mint marked 1963 half-dollar coins by the Philadelphia mint that are with complete horizontal lines on the bell image, then you can hope to sell them for as high as 30,000 USD.
The auction records for 1963 Philadelphia half-dollar coins are impressive, with the highest grade (MS-65) coins fetching a value of over $2,500. Even coins graded MS-63 can fetch prices upwards of $400.
The best grade that a 1963 Philadelphia half-dollar coin can achieve is MS-68. Coins of this grade are extremely prized and desirable, commanding prices well over $10,000. These coins display a full and complete strike with no detractions, and they showcase full original mint luster.
MS-67 graded coins, considered to be just under the most desirable grade of MS-68, are still highly sought-after and desirable. The prices for MS-67 coins range from $4,000 to $8,000, depending on the level of eye appeal and strike details.
Overall, the 1963 Philadelphia Mint Half-Dollar coin is a highly desirable item for collectors, and its scarcity and value are sure to make it an attractive purchase for those seeking quality mid-Century coinage.
1963 (P) Proof Half Dollar Coin Value
- Category: Half Dollar
- Edge: Reeded
- Mint Mark: None
- Place of Minting: Philadelphia Mint
- Year of Minting: 1963
- $ price: 17 USD to 350 USD
- Quantity Produced: 3,075,645
- Designer: John R. Sinnock
The 1963 proof half-dollar coins were also struck by the Philadelphia mint, and a total of 3,075,645 such proof coins were struck out during that year. The major difference between the regular minted coins and the proof version of these coins is their production process. The Half Dollar coins were manufactured through a regular production process while the Proof coins were produced in a more careful, intricate way.
Certainly, the price range for proof of 1963 half-dollar coins is considerably higher than the regular struck coins. The 1963 Philadelphia Mint Half Dollar Proof coins have a highly polished surface and are usually well-defined and very attractive. These coins are typically graded as Proof-63, Proof-64, or Proof-65 and have an average sale price of $50 to $60. But, you can hope to buy these proof-struck coins, for as low as 17 USD to as high as 350 USD, depending on the mint preservation.
Among these 1963 Proof struck half dollar coins, the most popular ones have been with the cameo contrast and can be sold for up to 550 USD. You can safely raise the price with a darker cameo contrast-proof coin.
If you have a perfectly preserved Cameo contrast proof of 1963 half-dollar coins, it may sell for 4500 USD, and with a Dark-Cameo contrast coin, you can sell it for 9000 USD. It’s all about the grading level, how rare the coin is, and the general market appeal for that particular struck type.
The 1963 Philadelphia Mint Half Dollar Proof coins are usually more expensive than the half-dollar coins. This is due to their higher production quality, greater levels of detail, and more attractive finish.
1963 D Half Dollar Coin Value
- Category: Half Dollar,
- Type: Proof
- Edge: Reeded
- Mint Mark: “D”
- Place of Minting: Denver Mint
- Year of Minting: 1963
- $ price: 8.75 USD to 11.25 USD
- Quantity Produced: 67,069,292
- Designer: John R. Sinnock
Denver mint actually, performed quite impressively and struck out around 67,069,292 half-dollar coins, with the mint mark as the letter ‘D.’ Of these coins, fewer than 5 million remain in circulation.
The 1963 Denver Mint half-dollar coins, if they have been in the circulated state, are valued from $8.75 to $11.25. On the other hand, if you have a coin in its absolute finest condition and haven’t been circulated, you can hope to sell it for as high as $1550.
Certainly, similar to the coins by Philadelphia mint, if you have a Denver minted coin with fully formed horizontal lines on the liberty bell image, the coin can auction for as high as 15000 USD.
A few 1963 Denver mint half-dollar coins have been sold at major auctions. In 2014, a PCGS MS-67+ graded coin was sold for $4,700. This was the highest-grade coin ever sold and set a new record for the 1963 Denver half-dollar. The MS-68 coins are highly sought after, though they are rarely seen. An MS-68 graded coin typically has no visible marks, a sharp strike, and is free of milky discolorations.
However, on average, the well-preserved, highly graded, and uncirculated Denver minted 1963 half-dollar coins price range from 3000 USD to 3500 USD. With better luster and mint state preservation, you can always come up with a better price.
Overall, the 1963 Denver mint half-dollar coins are highly collectible. They are rare and hard to find, especially in higher grades. They have a long history and deep symbolism, making them appealing to most collectors. The coins are also reasonably priced, making them a great investment for those looking to add a few unique coins to their collection.
History of the 1963 Half Dollar
The actual idea of dedicating a coin series to one of the beloved Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin, came from Nellie Tayloe Ross (the mint director at that time). These coins were quite famous and were produced with 90% silver of the finest quality as a tribute to the founder. However, it was quite a short-lived half-dollar coin series because soon after the Kennedy assassination it came to an end.
The next series of coins were 1963 half-dollar coins that were issued by the Congress and Mint in honor of John F. Kennedy, after his assassination to honor him. But the Kennedy half-dollar coin series wasn’t really issued during 1963, rather it was first produced in 1964.
According to general estimates, a total of around 465,814,455 half-dollar coins were struck for the purpose of circulation while around 15,886,955 coins were struck for purpose of proof. Out of these around 25,239,645 were bearing Philadelphia Mint and a total of 67.069,292 were of Denver Mint.
During the year 1963, there was an ever-increasing shortage of circulated coins. As a matter of fact, businesses and banks were quite aware of this impending shortage for quite a few years. In response to this shortage in circulation, the Philadelphia Mint ended up doubling its struck coin production of the half-dollar 1963 coins.
On the other hand, the Denver Mint was setting a new production record for the 1963 Denver Minted half-dollar coins. During that year the 1963 Denver Mint half-dollar coins were being hoarded excessively, due to the overall status they had (since it was the last year for these coins to be issued).
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1963 Half Dollar Grading
As we can see in the video to grade the 1963 half-dollar coins, the overall condition of the coin matters a lot. Because these coin series include coins that have been circulating and are worn out but there are also uncirculated premium coins. Once you have made a comparative assessment, you can assign a qualitative grade to the coin.
A coin’s grade is determined by the overall condition of the coin, with higher grades considered to be more valuable. A grade of Uncirculated is the highest a coin can reach and indicates the coin has not seen any circulation or wear.
The second highest grade a coin can have is Mint State, with coins in this condition showing no signs of circulation but often having slight imperfections on the surface. Below Mint State, coins that have seen circulation are graded at various levels depending on their overall condition. Examples of these grades include Very Fine, Fine, and Fair. 1963 Half Dollar coins are important to collectors, with the coin’s grade being an indicator of the value.
For instance, as you can see in the video, the coins with a lustrous and bright appearance are the ones that haven’t been circulated. When you compare these lustrous coins with the other circulated ones, you can observe evident signs of wear and tear. There can be a slight change of color as well. This way you can assign grades to each coin.
Lists of 1963 Half-Dollar Error
Below are some of the anomalous struck coins in the 1963 half-dollar coin series. Although, these anomalies also make these coins even more appealing to collectors.
1. 1963 Half Dollar Full-Bell Lines (FBL) Coin
This is often not considered an error at all and instead is regarded as a perfectly acceptable coin but with premium features. On some 1963 half-dollar Franklin coins, you would see horizontal lines on the image of the liberty bell, and these lines are fully formed. In addition to, this you would also notice other details, especially on the reverse side of the coins.
These types of coins are considered highly premium and are very popular among collectors. If you have one, you can sell them even at a price 50% higher than normal. However, for your coins to qualify as genuine FBL coins or Full Bell Lines 1963 coins, the lines need to be very clearly etched. If that’s not the case and you see lines that aren’t complete, then this shows a regular coin.
2. 1963 Half-Dollar Bugs Bunny Coin
The 1963 Half Dollar Bugs Bunny coin is a highly sought-after coin due to its rarity and unique error. The coin was minted by the United States Mint in 1963. This strike error happened initially, because of the die clash and the coins that came out showed Franklin’s image with two bugs’ bunny teeth. As a result, the 1963 Half Dollar Bugs Bunny Coin error can be worth upwards of $1,500 depending on its condition.
3. 1963 Half Dollar Double Mint Error
The double mint error on these coins (1963 half-dollar series) happened because of a wrong planchet struck, resulting in a reverse mirror blockage that was additional. This error actually ended up combining the two mint errors. It gives the unusual coins a unique and visible appearance, with the two designs appearing to be layered atop one another. Now, this is so rare, that these coins have always been in high demand and their price values have always been on the spike.
1963 Half Dollar FAQ
1. Is a 1963 Half Dollar all Silver?
Although not 100% silver but the 1963 half-dollar coin series had 90% fine silver content since these were struck in honor of Kennedy. These were of the finest quality that you can hope for and owing to the association with the honorary figures, they also gained instant popularity.
2. Are There Any 1963 Kennedy Half-Dollar Coins?
Yes, there are. Although the 1963 Kennedy half dollar coins were not originally produced with this year inscribed. There were Die Pair 6 of 1963 Denver Mint Regular Reverse with a Quality of 341, and it was first produced in 2013, October. Another Die Pair 3 for 1963 half-dollar coins with 305 Quality were issued in 2013, January.
3. Where is the Mint Mark on 1963 Half Dollar Coins?
The mint mark is present on the reverse side, right above the yoke of the bell image and below the letter “E” in the word “STATES”. The coins struck by the Philadelphia mint had no mint markings, while the 1963 half-dollar coins that were struck by the Denver mint, had a mint mark represented with the letter ‘D’.