1948-S Repunched Mintmark WRPM-038

Description

Pushing further into the high sequence numbers, WRPM-038 on the 1948-S Lincoln Wheat Cent demonstrates that San Francisco's die preparation in the postwar years generated RPM varieties rivaling Denver's output. Attributed by the Wexler Team under Wexler Variety ID 1948-S 1¢ WRPM-038, this variety documents another working die on which the small S mint mark was punched more than once, leaving diagnostic overlapping impressions in the die steel. The thirty-eighth entry extends a catalog testifying to both the volume of dies San Francisco consumed and the sustained effort of researchers who have examined 1948-S cents over many years. Detecting RPMs on S-mint cents presents unique challenges — the smaller letter form means that displacement between punch applications may be measured in fractions of a millimeter, requiring controlled lighting and steady magnification to distinguish a genuine secondary impression from die deterioration or circulation marks. The 1948-S cent circulated extensively through the late 1940s and into the Korean War era, and surviving examples remain plentiful for ongoing die variety research. No cross-references are published beyond the Wexler catalog.

Attribution History

• Discovered by David Goff Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1948-S 1¢ WRPM-038
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References