1945-S Repunched Mintmark RPM-016

Description

Documented by VarietyVista, the 1945-S RPM-016 Lincoln Wheat Cent displays an S/S/S North, East triple-punched mintmark using MMS-004 (Trumpet Tail) — a three-impression variety where the mintmark punch was applied three separate times with the secondary impression displaced northward and the tertiary impression displaced eastward from the primary position. This two-directional triple repunch creates a more complex overlap pattern than either a simple two-punch RPM or a triple repunch where all impressions share the same displacement axis. Die markers UVC-218 / DMR-019 track three stages: Stage A at EDS (unconfirmed); Stage B with both obverse and reverse at MDS; and Stage C at LDS (unconfirmed). The MMS-004 Trumpet Tail punch identification links this variety to the same physical mintmark tool used on RPM-019 and RPM-027 for the 1945-S date, demonstrating that this specific punch was applied to at least three different working dies with three different misalignment results — each punch application introducing its own unique positional error despite using the same tool. The Lincoln Wheat Cent was designed by Victor David Brenner, struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1945 in 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc, weighing 3.11 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter. Triple repunched mintmarks with multi-directional displacement are inherently scarcer than standard two-punch RPMs because they require three distinct misaligned applications. The North and East displacement vectors on the secondary and tertiary impressions respectively create remnant S features visible in two different quadrants around the primary mintmark, providing multiple diagnostic areas for attribution confirmation under magnification.

Die Markers

• UVC-218
• DMR-019
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Carole Kelsey
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References