1937-D Repunched Mintmark WRPM-009

Description

Ninth documented repunched mintmark for the 1937 Denver Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent, WRPM-009 shows a D/D tilted or rotated configuration — the initial D mintmark was punched at a slight rotational angle, and the correcting second punch realigned it, leaving traces of the first impression. Two obverse die stages have been documented: Stage A with NNW/SSE die scratches below the 19 of the date, and Stage B where those die scratches have been abraded away through normal die wear. Similarly, the reverse shows Stage A with an E/W die scratch inside the R in AMERICA that weakens in Stage B. These die stage progressions provide a chronological framework for the die pair's production life, allowing collectors to determine the relative position of their specimen within the die's service run. During the 1930s, mintmarks on Lincoln Cents were hand-punched into each working die at the branch mint — a manual process that introduced the positional variability documented by repunched mintmark varieties. The 1937-D was produced during the late Depression era, when Denver maintained steady cent production to meet commerce needs. Nine documented RPMs for this date reflects both the inherent imprecision of hand-punching and the dedicated examination by variety researchers. Attributed by the Wexler Team, WRPM-009 offers collectors a variety with clearly defined die stages that document the gradual wearing away of secondary die markers over the course of the die's productive life.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Lloyd Hanson Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1937-D 1¢ WRPM-009
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References