1938 (S) Lincoln Wheat Cent - Repunched Mintmark WRPM-001 / RPM-001

Description

The 1938-S RPM-001, which Wexler numbers WRPM-001, is a repunched mintmark on the 1938-S Lincoln wheat cent, an S/S North in both catalogs. Both give the Cherrypickers number FS-501 (Wexler writes FS-01-1938S-501 (016.51)). Wexler's Coins and Die Varieties follows eight stages, A through H, on each side. Obverse stage A, submitted by John A. Wexler, has a very heavy scratch that starts over the N of IN, on its right side, and runs ESE toward the G of GOD, many lighter WNW/ESE scratches across the motto, three scratches that fan out from the G in GOD at its left center, an east-west scratch low in the ear opening, and a very strong, fully detailed secondary mintmark. In stage B (John Bordner) all of that remains and the secondary S is still strong. In stage C (Lloyd Hanson) only a faint scratch above the N of IN and one inside the ear survive, and the secondary S is full but less detailed; in stage D (Hanson) the ear scratch is gone and the secondary is weaker. Stage E (Albert B. Raddi) adds a small die chip (dot), centered in the field over the LI of LIBERTY, with the scratch above the N now very mushy and a weak secondary. The chip remains in stages F (Bordner) and G (Raddi) as the secondary goes from weak to very weak, and in stage H (Hanson) the chip is stronger and the secondary is only a faint remnant. On the first reverse, stage A shows two southwest scratches from the bottom middle of the E in STATES down to the final A of AMERICA and three scratches between the right wheat stem's tip and the RIC of AMERICA that look like a "lazy Z". Stage B has clash marks around the E of ONE and the N and C of CENT, with the stage A scratches abraded off. In stage C the clash is gone and a light NNE/SSW crack shows in the lower right wheat grains; stage D adds an NNE/SSW scratch to the right of the lower B in PLURIBUS. Stage E is a new reverse die with wavy east-west scratches around the left wheat stem, a wavy scratch heading west off the right stem's tip, wavy east-west scratches under OF and the AM of AMERICA, a strong gouge at the lower right of the U in UNITED, and a southwest scratch from the lower left of the L in PLURIBUS. In stage F the wavy scratches are faint, the L scratch is gone, the gouge remains, and weak NW/SE clash marks cross the E of ONE and the N and C of CENT, placed differently from the clash on the first reverse. In stage G the stem scratches and clash are gone, the U gouge is weaker, and NNE/SSW scratches appear inside the C of AMERICA and through the S of PLURIBUS. By stage H only a faint gouge at the U of UNITED is left. CONECA lists it as RPM #1, Crawford as CRPM-001, and Coppercoins as 1938S-1MM-001. VarietyVista, which does not name a reporter, uses UVC-067 and DMR-002 for stages A to C. Stage A has a very strong secondary mintmark in a very early die state, scratches through IN GOD WE TRUST, a gouge between the N and G of IN GOD, and, on a middle-state reverse, a crack in the lower right wheat grains and a clash showing through the E of ONE. In stage B the secondary is strong and early, the scratches are nearly worn off, and the clash is gone, middle die state. In stage C the secondary is weak, middle state, the scratches are gone, and the reverse is late. Stage D, under UVC-068 and DMR-003, has a very weak secondary mintmark in a late die state and a changed reverse die in an early state.

Die Markers

• VarietyVista: UVC-067 DMR-002 Stage A: Very strong secondary mintmark – VEDS Die scratches through IN GOD WE TRUST Die gouge between N and G of IN GOD Die crack in lower Right wheat grains – MDS Die clash shows through E of ONE Stage B: Strong secondary mintmark – EDS Die scratches almost worn away Die clash worn away – MDS Stage C: Weak secondary mintmark – MDS Die scratches are worn away Reverse is LDS UVC-068 DMR-003 Stage D: Very weak secondary mintmark – LDS Reverse die changed – EDS

Cross References

• Wexler: 1938-S 1¢ WRPM-001; VarietyVista: 1938-S RPM-001; CONECA: RPM #1, Cherrypickers: FS-01-1938S-501 (016.51), Crawford: CRPM-001, Coppercoins: 1938S-1MM-001

External References