1970-S Repunched Mintmark WRPM-003

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1970-S 5¢ Pr WRPM-003, this proof Jefferson Nickel displays an S/S repunched mintmark with the secondary punch positioned north of the primary — indicating the initial S mintmark impression was placed slightly too low, and when the die engraver corrected by punching a second time in the proper position, the remnant of the first impression remained visible below the final placement. The "Pr" designation in the Wexler catalog number confirms this is a proof issue, struck at the San Francisco Mint on specially polished planchets using polished dies to produce the mirror-like fields characteristic of proof coinage. On proof coins, the highly reflective surface often makes repunched mintmark details more visible than on business-strike surfaces, as the contrast between the mirrored field and the mintmark's raised surface enhances subtle secondary impressions. The obverse carries no significant die markers, while the reverse shows a short vertical die scratch to the left of the upper first S in STATES — a subtle but useful confirmation marker positioned near the inscription elements. No cross-references to CONECA or other cataloging systems are currently known. The Jefferson Nickel was struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1970 in standard copper-nickel composition (75% copper, 25% nickel) weighing 5.00 grams with a 21.21 mm diameter. Felix Schlag designed the Jefferson portrait obverse and the Monticello reverse. The 1970-S proof set mintage provides the population from which this variety can be sourced, and the S/S North displacement pattern represents one of the more common repunched mintmark orientations, where the correction moved the final punch slightly upward from the initial placement.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian Ribar Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1970-S 5¢ Pr WRPM-003
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References