1940 (D) Jefferson Nickel - Repunched Mintmark WRPM-003

Description

Only two years after Felix Schlag's Jefferson Nickel design debuted in 1938, the Denver Mint was leaving telltale evidence of its hand-punching process on certain working dies. WRPM-003 of the 1940-D Jefferson Nickel, attributed by the Wexler Team, is one of several repunched mintmark varieties cataloged for this early date. Repunched mintmarks occurred because each working die received its mintmark through a separate hand-punching operation after hubbing. When the engraver's initial placement was unsatisfactory, a corrective second blow left traces of the original position visible beneath or alongside the final mintmark. The 003 designation indicates this was the third RPM variety cataloged for the 1940-D, suggesting moderate variety activity. During this pre-war era, the standard copper-nickel composition that would soon be interrupted by wartime needs was still in use, and Denver production was ramping up as the economy recovered from the Depression. Collectors pursuing early Jefferson Nickel die varieties find the 1938-1942 period especially rich in RPMs, as quality control of hand-punching had yet to reach the consistency of later decades.

Cross References

• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1940-D 5¢ WRPM-003

External References