1918-D Repunched Mintmark WRPM-004

Description

Attributed by CONECA as RPM #2 and by the Wexler Team as WRPM-004, this 1918-D Lincoln Wheat Cent preserves evidence of the hand-punching process used to apply mint marks to working dies during the World War I era. Each Denver Mint working die received its D mint mark individually — a skilled worker positioned a small steel punch bearing the letter and struck it into the die face with a mallet, and any misalignment between initial and corrective impressions created the overlapping images that define a repunched mint mark. The 1918-D cent was struck while the United States was fully engaged in World War I, with Mint production focused on maintaining adequate coinage supplies for a wartime economy. Denver's output was substantial, though nowhere near the billion-plus figures that would characterize later decades. WRPM-004 indicates it is the fourth repunched mint mark cataloged by the Wexler Team for 1918-D, while the CONECA RPM #2 designation places it second in their parallel numbering system. These dual attributions give collectors flexibility in referencing the variety across catalogs.

Attribution History

• Discovered by James Hiironen Cross References: CONECA: RPM #2
• CONECA: RPM #2; Wexler Variety ID: 1918-D 1¢ WRPM-004
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References