1948-S Repunched Mintmark WRPM-008

Description

Displaying an S/S South repunch — where the initial mintmark placement was too high and a second punch corrected the position downward — WRPM-008 for the 1948-S Jefferson Nickel documents the manual mintmark application process that prevailed at U.S. Mints through the mid-twentieth century. Before hubbed mintmarks were adopted in the 1990s, each working die received its mintmark through an individual hand-punched impression, and misalignment between the first and corrective punches created the visible doubling that defines RPM varieties. Detailed die markers pervade both sides: the obverse shows a die scratch running north from the upper nose to the bottom of the second T in TRUST, along with numerous additional die scratches throughout. The reverse carries a strong die scratch running south from N in MONTICELLO to V in FIVE, with numerous N/S die scratches across the remainder. Cross-referenced as CONECA RPM #2 and Wexler Variety ID: 1948-S 5¢ WRPM-008, the dual attribution under both major classification systems confirms this variety's standing. San Francisco struck approximately 11.3 million nickels in 1948, a modest output that makes S-mint Jefferson Nickels from this era more challenging to locate than their Philadelphia or Denver counterparts.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John Bordner Cross References: CONECA: RPM #2
• CONECA: RPM #2; Wexler Variety ID: 1948-S 5¢ WRPM-008
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References