1945-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-006

Description

Sixth in the repunched mintmark census for the 1945-D Mercury dime, RPM-006 presents one of the more dramatic displacement patterns in the series: a D punched over a horizontal D — meaning the initial mintmark application placed the D lying on its side before a corrective second punch applied the letter in its proper upright orientation. This variety carries the Fivaz-Stanton designation FS-502, confirming its recognition in the Cherry Pickers' Guide as a distinct cataloged variety, enumerated separately from the FS-501 designation assigned to RPM-001 for the same date. Adolph A. Weinman's Winged Liberty Head dime completed its final year of production in 1945, and Denver struck approximately 40.25 million examples during this terminal year, each working die receiving its mintmark through the manual hand-punching process that generated the repunching artifacts documented across the Mercury dime series. The horizontal D under the upright D creates a particularly striking visual diagnostic — rather than the typical slight directional displacement seen in most RPMs, the initial impression was rotated approximately 90 degrees from the intended orientation, producing an underletter whose horizontal curves and serifs overlap with the vertical elements of the corrective punch in an unmistakable pattern. This degree of rotation is uncommon and likely resulted from the mintmark punch being inadvertently held sideways during the initial application, with the error recognized and corrected by a second properly oriented punch strike. The FS-502 listing provides collectors with a standardized Cherry Pickers' Guide reference for this variety, separate from the RPM-001/FS-501 entry. Examination under 15-20x magnification should focus on the mintmark area on the reverse, where the rotated underletter creates distinctive angular overlaps visible within and around the primary D impression.

External References