1945-S Repunched Mintmark RPM-001

Description

Leading the repunched mintmark catalog for the 1945 San Francisco Lincoln Wheat Cent, RPM-001 is documented by VarietyVista under UVC-202 and DMR-003. The variety displays an S/S West displacement with an MMS-004 trumpet tail mintmark — a distinctive serif style where the base of the S extends into an elongated curved tail. Die stage progression provides staging criteria across two states: Stage B carries die scratches running north-south through the I of LIBERTY, while Stage D in very late die state shows these scratches completely worn away. The disappearance of the LIBERTY scratches between stages provides a clear before-and-after diagnostic for determining relative die state. The trumpet tail mintmark narrows the S punch to a specific tool in San Francisco's inventory during 1945 production. As RPM-001, this represents the most significant repunched mintmark for the date, with the westward displacement creating visible secondary S serifs to the left of the primary impression. The 1945-S was produced during the final year of World War II, when high wartime demand generated substantial die populations at the San Francisco Mint.

Die Markers

• UVC-202
• DMR-003
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Die scratches North-South through I of LIBERTY – MDS
• Reverse is EDS
• Stage C:
• Die scratches are weak – LDS
• Reverse is MDS
• Stage D:
• Die scratches worn away – VLDS
• Reverse is LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Unknown
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References