1941-S Repunched Mintmark RPM-007

Description

Seventh in the repunched mintmark census for the 1941-S Mercury dime, RPM-007 exhibits an S/S displacement to the west, documenting a secondary mintmark impression shifted leftward from the final position. During the hand-punching era, each working die received its mintmark individually: a mint employee positioned a small steel letter punch bearing the S over the designated spot on the die face and struck it with a mallet, often requiring repositioning when the first blow landed imperfectly. Adolph A. Weinman's Mercury dime reverse places the mintmark at the lower left near the fasces bundle, a recessed area where the punch could be guided into position against the surrounding design elements. San Francisco produced approximately 43.09 million dimes in 1941, reflecting the pre-war economic expansion that drove increased demand for circulating silver coinage. The comments record two important cross-references: MMS-004.4, which identifies a specific mintmark style classification within the VarietyVista system indicating a particular size or shape variant of the S punch used on this die, and FS-511, the Fivaz-Stanton number from the Cherry Pickers' Guide that provides widespread collector recognition and enhances market demand for identified specimens. The Cherry Pickers' Guide listing at FS-511 elevates RPM-007 above many Mercury dime RPMs that lack guide-book recognition, making it a legitimate cherry-picking target in dealer inventories and coin show junk boxes. The westward displacement produces an S/S overlap where the secondary impression peeks out from the left side of the primary, visible under 10-15x magnification as a subtle widening or shadow on the left contour of the mintmark letter.

External References