1950-S Repunched Mintmark RPM-005

Description

Documented by VarietyVista with die marker codes UVC-345 and DMR-006, this 1950-S Lincoln Wheat Cent RPM-005 features a repunched S mintmark produced at the San Francisco Mint when the mintmark letter punch required repositioning after the initial impression. Three die stages are documented: Stage A in early die state (EDS), unconfirmed; Stage B with both obverse and reverse at mid-die-state (MDS); and Stage C at late die state (LDS), also unconfirmed. The MDS confirmation for Stage B establishes the baseline die condition at which most surviving specimens were likely struck, as mid-die-state represents the broad middle portion of a die's production life when the majority of coins were typically produced — after the initial break-in period but before severe late-state deterioration set in. The Lincoln Wheat Cent was struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1950 in bronze composition (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc) weighing 3.11 grams with a diameter of 19.05 mm. The San Francisco Mint continued to apply mintmarks by hand through the early 1990s, with each working die receiving its S through individual punch impressions — a process documented across thousands of RPM varieties spanning multiple denominations and decades. Victor David Brenner designed the obverse Lincoln portrait, while the wheat ears reverse design was entering its final decade of service during the 1950s before being replaced in 1959. The 1950-S had a mintage of approximately 118.5 million pieces. The fifth cataloged RPM for this date-mint combination occupies a mid-range position in the 1950-S RPM catalog, and examination under 10x magnification of the mintmark area is necessary to identify the specific direction and magnitude of the S repunching that distinguishes this die from the other documented 1950-S RPMs.

Die Markers

• UVC-345
• DMR-006
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

External References