1951-S Repunched Mintmark WRPM-013

Description

Attributed by the Wexler Team as 1951-S 1¢ WRPM-013 and cross-referenced as CONECA RPM #12, this repunched mintmark variety was struck on a 1951-S Lincoln Wheat cent at the San Francisco Mint. The coin was produced in 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc, weighing 3.11 grams with a 19 mm diameter. San Francisco struck 136,010,000 cents in 1951, one of the final years of significant cent production at that facility before it shifted focus to proof coinage. The repunched mintmark shows as S/S North, meaning the original S mintmark impression is visible to the north of the final position, indicating the initial punch was placed too high. The obverse die carries extensive die markers: strong north-south die scratches run from the mintmark to the field in front of the nose, short but strong north-south die scratches appear on the neck, and weak north-south die scratches are visible in the field above the TY in LIBERTY. The reverse also shows multiple markers: strong die scratches extend north from the ON in ONE, an older north-south die scratch runs through the O in OF, a die gouge appears between the U and N in UNITED, and a weak die gouge passes through the upper E in UNITED. This extensive array of die markers makes WRPM-013 one of the more readily identifiable repunched mintmark varieties in the 1951-S cent die variety census. The CONECA cross-reference as RPM #12 provides an alternative attribution number for collectors using that reference system. Repunched mintmarks on Lincoln cents from the San Francisco Mint are actively collected, and the combination of clear S/S North displacement with the numerous diagnostic die scratches and gouges makes this variety both identifiable and appealing to specialists.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John Bordner Cross References: CONECA: RPM #12
• CONECA: RPM #12; Wexler Variety ID: 1951-S 1¢ WRPM-013
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References