The Poe Collection
1963-D


Obverse
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Coin Details

  

Set Details
Origin/Country:
Design Description:
Item Description:
Grade: NGC MS 64 FBL
Owner: physics-fan3.14
 
Winning Set: The Poe Collection
Date Added: 4/27/2008
Research: Currently not available

Owner's Description

After a short 16 years and 35 coins, the Franklin series came to an end with the 1963D. It was replaced with the current Kennedy half dollar to commemorate the wildly popular JFK who was, as we all know, assassinated. Was it the mob? Was it the CIA? Was it the Cubans? No one knows, but conspiracy theorists everywhere will continue to make wild claims about it for the rest of history, that’s for sure. <br /> <br />The 1963D had the highest mintage in the entire series – a gargantuan 67 million. This comprises a full 14% of the Franklin mintage for the entire series! However, as Ehrmantraut points out, because of their abundant availability and thus low price, during the great silver boom of the 80’s, bags and bags of the 1963D were melted down. Thus, the remaining population is much less than the original mintage. It is still the most common Franklin, though, and is readily available in Uncirculated condition. The problem is that this date has the lowest average quality in the entire series. If you thought bagmarks on 1961D and 1962D were bad, you obviously haven’t seen the 1963D! The only reason there are so many MS-65s certified by the TPGs is that the original mintage was so much higher – percentagewise, the 1963D is a terrible date. Strike was also poor; although not as bad as the 1961D it was not as good as the 1962D. FBL’s are far more readily available though, again, because of the much larger mintage. Luster generally tends to be above average, but with such a large mintage there is room for great variation in this. White coins are by far more common, and color coins are scarce, again due to the mint’s packaging. <br /><br />My 1963D is a white coin with decent luster, but nothing special. As is to be expected there are plenty of marks and little ticks on this coin, although it is definitely an MS-64 coin. The strike is decent, but not as good as my 1962D. The bell lines are decent, and there are only minor water spots scattered here and there. I got this coin for $38 on Ebay in April 2008. <br /><br />Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed my tour of the Franklin series. I hope you’ve learned something, and I hope you’re inspired to start your own Franklin collection, or maybe just add to one you’ve already started. The series is short and for the most part readily available and affordable, so it makes a great place to start a fine collection. Don’t worry if you don’t immediately catch on to all the subtleties of strike and luster and such – once you get interested, you will want to spend time studying and learning. With this will come an increased appreciation for this often overlooked and underrated series. Good luck, and may you always find a FBL!<br /><br />Entertainment in 1963:<br />“Cleopatra,” the great Elizabeth Taylor epic, and the most expensive movie ever made, came out. Some estimates say that it still hasn’t made all its money back yet. <br />“Charade,” starring Audrey Hepburn, comes out. <br />“Bye, Bye Birdie” satirizes the pop icons of the day. <br />Steve McQueen’s “The Great Escape” was also released.

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