1945-S Repunched Mintmark RPM-004

Description

Fourth repunched mintmark cataloged for the 1945-S Mercury dime, RPM-004 presents an S/S Rotated CW (clockwise) displacement — a less common repunching direction where the initial S punch was applied at a different rotational angle than the final corrective punch, rather than simply being displaced in a cardinal direction. The clockwise rotation means the first S was oriented with a slight counterclockwise tilt relative to the intended position, and the corrective punch, applied at the proper angle, created an overlapping pair of S impressions where the curves and serifs diverge most at the extremities of the letter. Adolph A. Weinman's final-year Mercury dime design positions the S mintmark on the reverse to the right of the fasces. San Francisco struck approximately 41.92 million Mercury dimes in 1945, matching the intense wartime production tempo that characterized the last years of the series. Rotational repunching is diagnostically distinctive because it produces a different overlap pattern than simple directional shifts: rather than a shadow image displaced uniformly in one direction, the two S impressions share a central axis but diverge at the terminal curves, creating a "doubled" appearance at the top and bottom of the letter while the middle portions more closely overlap. This geometric distinction makes rotated RPMs particularly interesting to variety specialists because the diagnostic evidence follows the letter's curvature rather than appearing as a simple offset. Collectors examining the S mintmark area should use 10-15x magnification and compare the terminal serifs at the top and bottom of the S, looking for secondary curves that extend beyond the primary letter boundaries at angles inconsistent with a simple linear displacement. The rotational nature of the repunching often makes these varieties more subtle than strongly displaced cardinal-direction RPMs, rewarding patient examination.

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