1883 Repunched Date WRPD-003

Description

Sharing the same WRPD number and repunching description as its Shield nickel counterpart, WRPD-003 for the 1883 Liberty Head nickel documents the triple repunching pattern 1/1/1883/1883/3 on Charles Barber's new design that replaced the Shield type during 1883. The repunching shows south-directed displacement on the top serif of the 1, north-directed repunching on both the 1 and 83 digits, and west-directed repunching on the final 3 — a multi-directional sequence indicating at least three date punch applications with shifts between each. Cross-referenced as Flynn NC RPD-005, Peters and Mohon PM-19.1, and Breen 2530, with the Wexler Team cataloging it as Wexler Variety ID 1883 5c V WRPD-003, this variety appears on the No CENTS reverse type. The 1883 Liberty Head nickel debuted in two reverse types: the initial No CENTS design, which proved problematic when unscrupulous individuals gold-plated the coins to pass them as five-dollar gold pieces, and the quickly introduced With CENTS modification that added the denomination. Obverse die markers include a die crack running through the date, while the reverse displays the No CENTS configuration without any denomination text beyond the Roman numeral V. Charles Barber's Liberty Head obverse, featuring a classical female profile with a coronet inscribed LIBERTY, entered production in 1883 and would serve the nickel denomination until 1912, but the No CENTS subtype was produced for only a portion of the inaugural year. The V designation in the Wexler ID (5c V) confirms the No CENTS type, and the triple repunching combined with this scarce first-type reverse makes WRPD-003 a multi-faceted collectible within the Liberty Head nickel variety census.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Not noted Cross References: Flynn: NC RPD-005, Peters & Mohon: PM-19.1, Breen: 2530
• Flynn: NC RPD-005, Peters & Mohon: PM-19.1, Breen: 2530; Wexler Variety ID: 1883 5¢ V WRPD-003
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References