1939-D Repunched Mintmark WRPM-007

Description

Listed as Wexler 1939-D 10-cent WRPM-007, this Mercury Dime exhibits a repunched mintmark — evidence that the small D mintmark punch was applied to the working die more than once, with the secondary impression slightly offset from the final position. Repunched mintmarks are among the most collected categories of die variety on Mercury Dimes (formally known as the Winged Liberty Head Dime, 1916-1945), because the hand-punched mintmark process used throughout the series' production made positioning errors inevitable. Each working die destined for the Denver or San Francisco Mints received its mintmark individually by a Mint employee using a hand-held punch and hammer, and even slight misalignment on the first blow left traces that could not be fully corrected by subsequent impressions. The 1939-D Mercury Dime was struck in 90% silver with a substantial mintage, but individual die varieties like WRPM-007 are scarcer than the date's overall population suggests, as each repunched mintmark variety derives from a single working die. WRPM-007 represents the seventh cataloged repunched mintmark for the 1939-D date in the Wexler reference system. Mercury Dime RPMs remain a vibrant collecting specialty, with new varieties still being documented across the series' three-decade production span.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John S. Gillilan Cross References: None known Go To: 1940 to 1942 10¢ WRPM
• None known Go To: 1940 to 1942 10¢ WRPM; Wexler Variety ID: 1939-D 10¢ WRPM-007
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References