1953-D Repunched Mintmark WRPM-009

Description

Ninth in the Wexler-documented repunched mintmark census for the 1953-D Jefferson nickel, WRPM-009 shows D/D with the secondary mintmark impression displaced to the southeast of the primary position. Repunched mintmarks on Jefferson nickels of this era resulted from the hand-punching process where the D mintmark was individually added to each working die — if the initial placement was deemed unsatisfactory, the engraver would reposition the punch and strike again, leaving both impressions visible on the finished die. The southeast displacement direction means the original D impression sits above and to the left of the final corrected position, creating overlapping letter forms where the curves of the two D impressions produce a distinctive doubled appearance at the letter's edges. The Wexler Team documented distinctive die markers for identification: on the obverse, a die scratch runs southeast from the bottom of the O in GOD, accompanied by numerous other die scratches throughout the obverse surface. The reverse carries a nearly vertical die scratch on the right side of the E in UNITED. These scratches provide die-specific fingerprints that enable positive identification of the correct die pair independent of the repunched mintmark itself. Felix Schlag's Jefferson portrait and Monticello reverse design were in their fifteenth year of production in 1953, and Denver's production volume generated the die consumption necessary for multiple RPM varieties across the date. Cross-referenced as Wexler Variety ID: 1953-D 5¢ WRPM-009, with no additional attribution service listings currently known. Collectors should examine the D mintmark under 15-20x magnification, looking for the secondary impression displaced to the southeast, and confirm by locating the die scratch from the O in GOD and the vertical scratch near the E in UNITED.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Matthew Sallee Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1953-D 5¢ WRPM-009
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References