1964 (D) Kennedy Half Dollar - Repunched Mintmark WRPM-004

Description

Struck during the inaugural year of the Kennedy Half Dollar series — a coin born from national grief following President John F. Kennedy's assassination in November 1963 — this 1964-D WRPM-004 is the fourth cataloged repunched mintmark for the date. The 1964-D Kennedy Half holds a unique place in American numismatics: struck in 90% silver (the only business-strike year at full silver content for the series), it saw astronomical mintage as the public hoarded these coins both as memorials and for their silver content. That massive Denver Mint production, with each die receiving its D mintmark by individual hand punch, generated numerous RPM varieties as punch placement varied across hundreds of working dies. The hand-punch process required a Mint technician to position the D punch and strike it with a mallet — a procedure inherently prone to slight misalignment between impressions when the punch was applied more than once. Attributed by the Wexler Team with the variety designation 1964-D 50¢ WRPM-004, this first-year 90% silver half dollar rewards careful examination of the mintmark area for traces of secondary D placement.

Cross References

• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1964-D 50¢ WRPM-004

External References