1942 (S) Lincoln Wheat Cent - Repunched Mintmark WRPM-013

Description

Showing the S mintmark repunched over a previous S to the north, this thirteenth cataloged RPM for the 1942-S Lincoln Wheat Cent preserves clear evidence of manual mintmark placement at the San Francisco Mint during the first year of wartime production. Detailed obverse die markers include a die scratch running from southwest to northeast between the upper G and O in GOD, and a die scratch running parallel to the rim under and to the left of the V of Victor David Brenner's designer's initials. Reverse die markers are equally specific: die scratches run south from the tops of the C, E, and T in CENT, and a die scratch runs through the upper E PL in E PLURIBUS. Cross-referenced under Wexler Variety ID: 1942-S 1¢ WRPM-013 with no other known references, this variety was attributed by the Wexler Team. The S/S North orientation indicates the first mintmark punch landed slightly south of the intended position, with the corrective second punch placed further north. San Francisco's 1942 cent production used the standard bronze composition that would continue through early 1943 before the wartime zinc-coated steel transition. Thirteen RPMs for the 1942-S date demonstrates the variability inherent in hand-punched mintmark application across high-volume wartime coinage production.

Cross References

• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1942-S 1¢ WRPM-013

External References