1963 Gold Medal D1963-2b, Padre Serra 250th Anniversary

Coin Details

Description

Swoger catalog number D1963-2b. This gold medal was struck at the United States Mint in Philadelphia for the 250th anniversary of Padre Junipero Serra's birth. Serra, born November 24, 1713, in Petra, Mallorca, was a Franciscan friar who became the principal architect of the California mission system. Beginning with Mission San Diego de Alcala in 1769, Serra and his fellow Franciscans established a chain of missions that would eventually stretch from San Diego to Sonoma. Serra was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1988 and canonized by Pope Francis in 2015, though his legacy remains debated due to the impact of the mission system on indigenous California peoples. The Swoger catalog (D-series), compiled by Tom Swoger, documents modern U.S. Mint commemorative medals from 1956 onward. The gold composition makes this the most prestigious and rarest variant in the D1963-2 Padre Serra series.

Rarity Notes

Gold composition medal — the rarest and most valuable variant in the Padre Serra anniversary series. Produced in very limited quantities. Exact mintage not separately reported.

Cross References

PCGS #75959; Swoger D1963-2b