1963 Lincoln Penny

Notes: 3.07 million proofs were issued as proof 1963 pennies they are selling for up to $1.75 each.

1963 Penny Basic Facts

Minted at both the Denver (D), and Philadelphia (no mint mark).

Small and Large Date mint marks are circulating, be sure to collect them all.

63 Penny Mintages

• 1963 (no mint mark)- 754 million minted in total
• 1963 D -1.77 Billion minted in total

See the chart further down the page for a visual reference of the United States mint numbers.

Are 1963 Pennies Copper?

Yes, Pennies minted in 1963 are indeed copper, with the mint making the big change to zinc mid year in 1982.

Copper Penny Color Guide

Use the color guide below as a rough reference. We suggest using a third party like PCGS to designate the color in regards to higher end specimens, as the color designation may be to easily be skewed in favor of the seller.

Are there any 1963 Penny Errors?

We looked low an for off center errors but were unable to find any...

• DDO / DDR - double die errors are plentiful.
• "L" on Edge Rim - L on the edge of the rim errors are for sell everywhere, but we were unable to find any certified. So it may be agreed upon that this is an error, but the big companies are calling it something else.
• Clipped Planchet - The example included is for a ragged type clip planchet. There are also curved clipped, and just straight clipped errors as well.
• Struck on 10c Silver Planchet - Struck on a 10c silver planchet that somehow made its way into the pennies minting process.

How much is a 1963 Lincoln Penny worth?

In Average Circulated (AC) condition it's worth around 1 cent, one in certified mint state (MS+) condition could bring as much as $15 at auction. This price does not reference any standard coin grading scale. So when we say Average Circulated, we mean in a similar condition to other coins circulated in 1963, and mint state meaning it is certified MS+ by one of the top coin grading companies. *** [?].

What are your coins really worth?

Use the handy-dandy calculator below to find the real value of any lincoln penny in your collection.

Specs & Design

This coin has a total mass of 2.5 g, a diameter of 19.05 mm, and a thickness of 1.52 mm. It's edge is Smooth, and the coins are composed of 95% Copper Pre 1982, 97.5% Zinc, 2.5% Copper after 1982.

Designer: Victor D. Brenner (obv), Lyndall Bass (rev)

Front (Obverse): The obverse or front of this coin contains the bust of President Lincoln the 16th president of the United States. The words In God We Trust are engraved in an arching manner on the top most portion of this coin. The date is present along with the mint mark. If the mark is missing the coin was issued from the Philadelphia mint. With the exception of 2017 P, the only year to contain a P mint mark to honor the 225th anniversary of the United States Mint.

Back (Reverse): The reverse of this coin has been described as Lincoln Memorial design. Nice clean lines on the steps and buildings are important for a decent grade. The Lincoln Memorial replaced the reverse after the last Wheat Cent was issued in 1958.