1938-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-009

Description

Carrying VarietyVista die identification codes UVC-230 and DMR-015, this 1938-D Buffalo Nickel RPM-009 documents a repunched mintmark variety from the final year of the Buffalo Nickel series, making it one of the last opportunities for RPM varieties to occur within this iconic design type. Three die stages track the production progression: Stage A with both reverse and obverse in early die state (EDS), Stage B with both in mid-die-state (MDS), and Stage C in late die state (LDS, unconfirmed). The 1938-D Buffalo Nickel holds special significance as the terminal Denver Mint issue of James Earle Fraser's celebrated design, which debuted in 1913 and was replaced by Felix Schlag's Jefferson Nickel later in 1938. The Buffalo Nickel was struck in copper-nickel composition (75% copper, 25% nickel) weighing 5.00 grams with a diameter of 21.21 mm, with the D mintmark hand-punched onto the reverse beneath the FIVE CENTS denomination. The 1938-D had a mintage of approximately 7.0 million pieces, a relatively modest figure that reflects the transition year's reduced production before the new Jefferson Nickel design took over. Fraser's design features a composite Native American portrait on the obverse — modeled after Iron Tail, Two Moons, and John Big Tree — and a standing American bison on the reverse, commonly identified as Black Diamond from the Central Park Zoo. Repunched mintmarks from the final year of a series type carry added collector appeal because they represent the last instances of the manual mintmark punching process applied to that particular design, and RPM-009 stands as one of the later die entries in the 1938-D RPM catalog.

Die Markers

• UVC-230
• DMR-015
• Stage A:
• Reverse and Obverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• Reverse and Obverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

External References