1948-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-001

Description

Documented by VarietyVista with die markers UVC-174 and DMR-002, this 1948-D Roosevelt Silver Dime RPM-001 presents a D/D repunched mintmark with the secondary impression displaced to the north — indicating the initial D mintmark punch was placed slightly too low, and when the engraver corrected with a second application in the proper position, the remnant of the first impression remained visible below (south of) the final placement. As RPM-001 for the 1948-D date, this holds the primary catalog position, suggesting it was either the first documented or the most prominent repunched mintmark known for this date-mint combination. Three die stages chart this die's service life: Stage A is early die state (EDS, unconfirmed); Stage B documents both the reverse and obverse at mid-die-state (MDS); and Stage C records both at late die state (LDS). The northward displacement direction is one of the more common RPM orientations because the vertical axis of die-face geometry naturally lends itself to slight up-down positioning errors during hand-punching, where gravity and the engraver's hand angle can bias the initial impression slightly below the target. The Roosevelt Dime was designed by John R. Sinnock, featuring his JS initials at the truncation of Roosevelt's neck on the obverse. The 1948-D was struck at the Denver Mint in 90% silver (90% silver, 10% copper) weighing 2.50 grams with a 17.9 mm diameter. The Denver Mint's mintmark application in 1948 required hand-punching a steel D letter into each individual working die, and this RPM-001 documents the most significant positional variation from that process for the 1948-D Roosevelt Dime. Collectors should examine the area immediately below the D under 10x or higher magnification to detect the traces of the initial lower-positioned impression.

Die Markers

• UVC-174
• DMR-002
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Reverse and Obverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• Reverse and Obverse are LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Delma K. Romines
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References