1945-S Repunched Mintmark RPM-027

Description

Documented by VarietyVista, the 1945-S RPM-027 Lincoln Wheat Cent exhibits an S/S South repunched mintmark using MMS-004 (Trumpet Tail) — the same characteristic flared-serif mintmark punch style documented on several other 1945-S RPM varieties, confirming this particular punch tool was in active service at the Philadelphia Mint for preparing San Francisco-bound dies during 1945 production. Die markers UVC-2547 / DMR-035 track three stages: Stage A at EDS (unconfirmed); Stage B with an asymmetric die-life pattern where the obverse is at MDS but the reverse has already progressed to LDS, indicating the reverse die was deteriorating faster than the obverse; and Stage C at LDS (unconfirmed). The reverse die's advanced deterioration at Stage B means that specimens from this die pairing will typically show more wear-related features on the reverse wheat ears and inscriptions while the obverse Lincoln portrait retains comparatively sharper detail. The Lincoln Wheat Cent was designed by Victor David Brenner for the obverse, struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1945 in the standard bronze composition of 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc, weighing 3.11 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter. The S/S South displacement pattern indicates the initial mintmark punch was placed slightly north of the intended position, and the corrective second punch shifted the final S placement southward. The Trumpet Tail designation (MMS-004) adds a layer of die-manufacturing provenance to this variety, allowing RPM specialists to track this specific physical punch tool's usage across multiple die preparations during the 1945 San Francisco production year — contributing to a broader understanding of how many individual punch tools were in rotation and which dies each tool prepared.

Die Markers

• UVC-2547
• DMR-035
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse is MDS
• Reverse is LDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian Ribar
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References