1911-D Repunched Mintmark WRPM-006

Description

Attributed by the Wexler Team as 1911-D 1¢ WRPM-006, this repunched mintmark variety was discovered on a 1911-D Lincoln Wheat cent struck at the Denver Mint. The coin was produced in 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc, weighing 3.11 grams with a 19 mm diameter. Denver struck 12,672,000 cents in 1911, a relatively modest mintage that makes the base date somewhat scarce compared to the Philadelphia issues of the same year. The repunched mintmark shows as D/D South, meaning the initial D mintmark punch impression is visible to the south of the final D position, indicating the mintmark was first applied too low relative to its intended placement and then corrected with a second punch. During this era, mintmarks were individually hand-punched into each working die at the branch mints, and slight misalignments on the first punch were not uncommon. The die was typically re-punched in the correct position without grinding away the initial impression, leaving both punches visible on the finished die and every coin struck from it. Obverse die markers reveal no visible distinguishing features beyond the repunched mintmark itself. The reverse die marker is a die crack running northwest from the rim at the 4:30 position to the right wheat ear, documenting progressive die deterioration that developed during the die's working life. This crack helps identify the specific reverse die paired with this obverse and assists in determining die state when examining individual specimens. The Lincoln Wheat cent series is one of the most extensively studied for repunched mintmarks, and the early Denver Mint dates from 1911 through the mid-1910s are particularly interesting because the relatively low mintages make specific RPM varieties genuinely scarce.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1911-D 1¢ WRPM-006
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References