1913-S Repunched Mintmark WRPM-001

Description

Minted during the inaugural year of James Earle Fraser's Buffalo Nickel — one of the most iconic coin designs in American numismatics — this 1913 San Francisco Mint repunched mint mark is the first Wexler-cataloged RPM for the date. The 1913 Buffalo Nickel appeared in two distinct reverse types: Type 1 with the bison standing on a raised mound, and Type 2 with the bison on level recessed ground. This RPM appears on the Type 2 design, which replaced the Type 1 mid-year after the raised mound caused the denomination to wear too quickly. Cross-referenced as CONECA RPM #1, the variety shows evidence that the S mint mark was punched into the working die more than once, with traces of an initial impression visible near the final placement. Before the mechanization of mint mark application in 1990, every working die at the San Francisco Mint received its S mint mark through an individual hand-punching operation, and the imprecision of this manual process is what created repunched mint mark varieties. Attributed by the Wexler Team under Wexler Variety ID 1913-S 5 cents WRPM-001, this first-year Buffalo Nickel RPM combines the appeal of a key inaugural date with a documented die variety.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Lloyd Hanson (Upgraded by Brian Ribar) Cross References: CONECA: RPM#1
• CONECA: RPM#1; Wexler Variety ID: 1913-S 5¢ WRPM-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References