1939-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-002

Description

Westward displacement defines the second cataloged repunched mintmark for the 1939-D Mercury dime, with RPM-002 showing a D/D West orientation. The initial D mintmark punch was placed too far east (to the right), and the corrective second punch was applied in the final westward (leftward) position, leaving the right edge of the original punch visible beyond the right boundary of the accepted mintmark. Denver produced approximately 24.39 million Mercury dimes in 1939, generating enough die pairs to support a census of at least three documented RPMs for this date. Adolph A. Weinman's Mercury dime reverse situates the D mintmark in a small open area to the right of the fasces, and the hand-punching process that placed each mintmark individually on each working die inevitably produced the positional variations that characterize RPM varieties. The westward displacement on RPM-002 contrasts with the southward direction of RPM-001 (which carries the FS-501 cross-reference) and the eastward shift of RPM-003, meaning each of the three documented 1939-D RPMs shows a different directional pattern — south, west, and east respectively. This directional diversity across three dies from the same date demonstrates that mintmark placement errors were not systematically biased in one direction but rather reflected the inherent variability of manual punching. Collectors examining the D mintmark area should use 10-15x magnification and assess which side of the final D shows secondary traces: evidence to the right (east) of the accepted mintmark indicates the westward correction documented for RPM-002, while evidence above (RPM-001's south correction) or to the left (RPM-003's east correction) points to the other varieties. The right edge of the initial eastward punch is the primary diagnostic, appearing as a faint D outline or partial curve extending beyond the final mintmark's right boundary.

External References