1981 (P) Roosevelt Dime - Repunched Mintmark WRPM-001

Description

Carrying the benchmark WRPM-001 designation, this 1981-P Roosevelt Dime documents the first cataloged repunched mintmark for the date — a variety of particular historical interest because 1981 falls in the early years of the P mintmark's appearance on dimes. The Philadelphia Mint began placing a P mintmark on dimes, quarters, and half dollars in 1980, ending a nearly two-century tradition of leaving Philadelphia-struck coins unmarked. This transition meant that Mint engravers were establishing new procedures for P mintmark placement on die types that had never before carried a Philadelphia identifier, and the resulting learning curve likely contributed to positional errors that produced repunched mintmark varieties like WRPM-001. Cross-referenced as Wexler 1981-P 10-cent WRPM-001, this variety benefits from being the benchmark RPM for the date — the first cataloged and the reference point against which subsequent 1981-P dime RPM discoveries are compared. Collectors seeking this variety should examine the P mintmark above the date on the obverse, looking for overlapping or offset letter images that betray the multiple punching impressions characteristic of a repunched mintmark.

Cross References

• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1981-P 10¢ WRPM-001

External References