1963-D Jefferson Nickel

The 1963-D Jefferson Nickel had a total mintage of over 276 million coins struck at the Denver Mint, staying consistent with the past few years of issue dates here in the high 200 millions. The Denver Mint in the 1960’s was notorious for producing poorly struck coins that often had scratches, abrasions, and a weakly struck reverse side that prevented the coins from receiving the Full Step designation. It is believed that the dies were worn out and had many scratches on them that transferred over into a poorly created coin. While this is true, it’s still possible to find some beautiful specimens within the series, but that requires careful searching.

History of the 1963-D Jefferson Nickel

The 1963-D Jefferson Nickel benefits from a large mintage that means many are available for collectors, but it has the drawback that they were usually poorly struck, making it difficult for the most serious of collectors to find high grade coins with Full Step distinctions. This coin is one of the more difficult coins to find in the highest grades, with none being located above Mint State 66 with or without the Full Step distinction. Felix Schlag designed the Jefferson Nickel, and his designs were chosen during a competition for the coin. His originals featured the head of Thomas Jefferson on the obverse and Jefferson’s Monticello home on the reverse alongside the ‘D’ mint mark next to the structure.