1915-S Repunched Mintmark RPM-003

Description

Cataloged as UVC-103 with die marriage DMR-004, this 1915-S Buffalo Nickel displays an S/S repunched mintmark displaced to the east. The eastward shift indicates the initial mintmark punch landed slightly west of its final position, leaving a secondary impression visible alongside the primary S. San Francisco struck 3.47 million Buffalo Nickels in 1915, a modest output that makes all S-mint varieties from this date relatively scarce compared to the Philadelphia issue. RPM-003 is one of several repunched mintmark varieties documented for the 1915-S, reflecting the era's hand-punching process in which each working die received its mintmark individually. Fraser's Type 2 design, with the bison on a recessed flat plain, had been in use since partway through 1913 and would continue through the end of the series in 1938. The 75% copper, 25% nickel composition remained constant throughout Buffalo Nickel production. Collectors examining the mintmark area under magnification will find the eastward displacement provides a reliable diagnostic for this attribution.

Die Markers

• UVC-103
• DMR-004
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Reverse and Obverse are LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Gary Torkington II
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References