1949-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-001

Description

Showing a D over D repunched to the west, this 1949-D Franklin Half Dollar RPM-001 documents the primary repunched mintmark for the series' second Denver issue. The westward correction means the initial D was positioned too far east, and the die maker shifted the punch leftward before applying the final impression — leaving remnants of the first D displaced to the east of the final position. The 1949-D Franklin Half Dollar had a mintage of approximately 4.1 million pieces, making it one of the lower-mintage dates in the series and potentially increasing the relative scarcity of die varieties from this issue. Sinnock's design — Benjamin Franklin facing right on the obverse with the Liberty Bell on the reverse — was in its second year, and the reverse's small eagle (added at congressional insistence to satisfy the half dollar's statutory requirement for an eagle) sits near the mintmark location, providing a useful reference point for assessing mintmark position. Franklin Half Dollar RPMs are collected as a dedicated subset of the series, with the hand-punched mintmarks from the 1948-1963 era documenting the final decades of this manual die preparation technique on half dollars. Struck in 90% silver at 30.6mm. Look for the first D impression displaced eastward from the final position, confirming the westward correction.

External References