1940 (D) Mercury Dime - Repunched Mintmark RPM-004

Description

Cataloged as the fourth repunched mintmark variety for the 1940-D Mercury Dime, RPM-004 displays a D/D repunching with the secondary impression offset to the southwest. During this era, each working die received its mintmark through a separate hand-punching operation at the branch mint — a technician positioned a steel punch bearing the letter D against the die face and struck it with a hammer. When the punch landed imprecisely, a corrective blow created a second overlapping impression. On RPM-004, the earlier D sits to the southwest, visible below and to the left of the final mintmark. Adolph Weinman's Winged Liberty Head dime — the Mercury Dime — was struck 1916 through 1945 in 90% silver at 17.9mm. The mintmark appears on the reverse, left of the fasces. By 1940, Europe was engulfed in war though the United States had not yet entered the conflict. Examine the mintmark under magnification for the southwest-displaced secondary D.

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