1950-S Repunched Mintmark RPM-002

Description

Documented by VarietyVista, the 1950-S RPM-002 Lincoln Wheat Cent presents an S/S/S North, North triple-punched mintmark — a variety where the S mintmark was applied three separate times, with the second and third impressions both displaced northward from the primary position. This S/S/S triple repunch is diagnostically more complex than the standard two-punch RPM because three overlapping impressions create a richer pattern of remnant serifs and curves visible around the final S placement. Die markers UVC-342 / DMR-003 track three progressive stages: Stage A at EDS (unconfirmed); Stage B with both obverse and reverse at MDS; and Stage C where the obverse reaches LDS and a light die crack develops from the right wheat ear to the rim at LDS — documenting the die's structural deterioration in a region where the sharp relief transition between the wheat ear tips and the flat rim field concentrates stress during repeated striking. The Lincoln Wheat Cent was designed by Victor David Brenner for the obverse, struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1950 in 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc, weighing 3.11 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter. The 1950-S had a mintage of approximately 118.5 million pieces. Triple repunched mintmarks (S/S/S) are inherently scarcer than double repunches because they require three distinct punch applications to the same die — each additional stroke decreases the probability of the specific misalignment pattern, making triple RPMs a more advanced collecting target within the repunched mintmark specialty, with both secondary impressions displaced in the same northward direction creating a stacked vertical pattern.

Die Markers

• UVC-342
• DMR-003
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• Obverse is LDS
• Light die crack Right wheat to rim – LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Unknown
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References