1940-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-008

Description

Eighth in the RPM catalog for the 1940-D Mercury Dime, RPM-008 exhibits a D/D repunching with the secondary impression offset to the southeast — below and to the right of the final mintmark. Southeast repunchings are visually distinctive because the displaced image appears in the open area beneath the D's bowl, where it stands out under a loupe. Eight distinct RPM varieties for one date and mint attest to the volume of working dies the Denver facility consumed, each individually hand-punched with the D before entering production. Weinman's Mercury Dime, composed of 90% silver at 2.50 grams, carries the mintmark on the reverse left of the fasces — that Roman symbol of authority which became controversial after Mussolini adopted it, though the coin's design predated that appropriation by several years. The 1940-D is a late Depression-era issue, struck while Europe was at war and the U.S. was expanding its industrial base. Examine the lower-right periphery of the D for the secondary impression.

External References