Seems too early to be a factory 4 bolt 961 block. I can't remember the earliest 4-bolt 961 that I've heard about. I was thinking late April for the earliest castings. If it is a real factory 4 bolt it could be worth a thousand or two. A standard 2 bolt block could be worth 3 or 4 hundred, and, I would guess, a little more with added 4 bolt caps.
Does it have the 2 pipe plugs next to oil filter? Any stamped assembly date codes on the deck?