1942 (P) Jefferson Nickel - Wartime Silver Alloy - Repunched Mintmark RPM-037

Description

Documented by VarietyVista, the 1942 Jefferson Nickel RPM-037 is a P/P South repunched mintmark variety discovered on the 1942 (P) Wartime Silver Alloy issue, cataloged as UVC-1677 with die marker record DMR-052. The P/P South designation indicates the initial P mintmark punch was placed slightly too high, and the corrective second punch positioned the final P southward, leaving a remnant of the first impression visible above the primary letter. Die stage progression documents three states: Stage A with both reverse and obverse in early-to-mid die state (EMDS), Stage B at mid-die-state (unconfirmed), and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The 1942 wartime Jefferson Nickel is historically significant as the first year the large P mintmark appeared above Monticello on Philadelphia issues — marking the first time in U.S. coinage history that a P mintmark was used on a circulating coin, implemented specifically to distinguish the emergency wartime silver alloy composition from the standard copper-nickel version. The wartime alloy of 56% copper, 35% silver, and 9% manganese was adopted to conserve nickel for military applications during World War II. Felix Schlag’s design features Jefferson’s portrait on the obverse and Monticello on the reverse, with each coin weighing 5.00 grams at a 21.2 mm diameter. Because the large P mintmark was a new element in 1942 and die sinkers were still developing consistency with its placement, repunched mintmark varieties are relatively common for this date, as the unfamiliar punch position above Monticello rather than in the traditional location near the date increased the likelihood of initial misplacement requiring correction.

Die Markers

• UVC-1677
• DMR-052
• Stage A:
• Reverse and Obverse are EMDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

External References