1923-S Repunched Mintmark WRPM-001

Description

Carrying the primary repunched mintmark designation for the 1923-S Lincoln wheat cent, WRPM-001 exhibits an S/S repunching in the southeast direction — the secondary S mintmark impression displaced below and to the right of the primary position. Repunched mintmarks on pre-1990 Lincoln cents resulted from the hand-punching process where an engraver manually applied the mint facility letter to each individual working die, and if the initial impression was unsatisfactory in depth, position, or alignment, subsequent blows with the same punch were applied with slight displacement. The southeast orientation on WRPM-001 indicates the secondary S impression shifted both downward and to the right relative to the primary. San Francisco struck approximately 8.70 million cents in 1923, among the lower S-mint wheat cent mintages that make this a moderately scarce date in all grades. Cross-referenced as CONECA RPM #1 — the primary listing in the Combined Organizations of Numismatic Error Collectors of America classification system — and formally cataloged under Wexler Variety ID: 1923-S 1¢ WRPM-001, this variety carries dual attribution system recognition. Obverse and reverse die markers show no visible characteristics, though the examined specimen was a circulated example where fine die markers may not have been preserved. The WRPM-001 designation as the first and primary RPM for this date-mint combination suggests it is the most prominent or earliest-documented repunched mintmark variety for the 1923-S cent. Collectors should examine the S mintmark under 15-20x magnification for traces of the secondary impression displaced to the southeast, looking for a partial S outline extending below and right of the primary letter's position.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Whaden Curtis Cross References: CONECA RPM #1
• CONECA RPM #1; Wexler Variety ID: 1923-S 1¢ WRPM-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References