1948 (D) Lincoln Wheat Cent - Repunched Mintmark WRPM-013

Description

Denver`s 1948 Lincoln Wheat Cent production yielded at least thirteen documented repunched mintmarks, and WRPM-013 records one such instance where the D was punched into the working die at an initial position before being corrected with a final impression. Attributed by the Wexler Team as 1948-D 1-cent WRPM-013, this variety belongs to the postwar era when Denver struck large volumes of cents using dies that each required individual mintmark application by hand. The process involved a steel punch bearing the D letter being hammered into the die face — a fundamentally imprecise operation that generated repunched mintmarks whenever the first strike landed off-target. Evidence of the initial position persists as a secondary image or offset trace near the final D placement. Denver`s 1948 output was substantial, requiring numerous working dies, and each die represented an independent opportunity for mintmark misalignment. Collectors seeking WRPM-013 should examine the mintmark under magnification, looking for the telltale doubled or shifted D that distinguishes this die from the hundreds of others used for the 1948-D cent.

Cross References

• None known Comments: The photo of the RPM was taken by Brian Ribar.; Wexler Variety ID: 1948-D 1¢ WRPM-013

External References