1939-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-001

Description

Anchoring the RPM census for the 1939-D Mercury dime, RPM-001 displays D/D South displacement and carries the significant cross-reference designation FS-501 in the Fivaz-Stanton attribution system. The FS-501 listing — the lowest number in the mintmark category for this date — indicates this is considered the most important or most readily identifiable RPM for the 1939-D issue in the Cherrypickers' Guide framework. The southward displacement means the initial D punch landed too high, and the corrective second punch was applied lower, leaving traces of the first impression visible above the final mintmark position. Denver produced approximately 24.39 million Mercury dimes in 1939, as the pre-war economy continued its recovery from the Depression. Adolph A. Weinman's winged-cap Liberty obverse and fasces reverse design was entering its twenty-fourth year of production, and the D mintmark hand-punched to the right of the fasces on each working die continued to generate the placement variations that are the foundation of RPM collecting on Mercury dimes. The FS-501 designation ensures this variety receives coverage in one of the hobby's most widely distributed variety reference books, significantly increasing the likelihood that collectors will actively search for it. As RPM-001 with an FS-501 cross-reference, this represents the flagship repunched mintmark variety for the 1939-D date. Collectors should examine the D mintmark area under 10-15x magnification, focusing above the final D position where the initial higher placement left its diagnostic shadow. The remnant first punch typically shows as partial upper serifs or a faint outline of the D's curve extending beyond the upper boundary of the accepted mintmark, and the FS-501 listing provides published reference images in the Cherrypickers' Guide for direct comparison.

External References