1942-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-003

Description

Displaying the classic D/D East repunched mintmark pattern, this third RPM variety for the 1942-D Mercury Dime preserves evidence of the hand-punching process used to apply mintmarks to individual working dies throughout the early and mid-twentieth century. Before 1990, when the United States Mint began incorporating mintmarks directly into the master die, each working die received its mintmark through a separate hand-punching operation — a skilled worker using a steel punch and hammer to impress the small D (for Denver) into the die face at the correct location. When the first punch impression landed slightly off-target, the die was repunched to correct the position, leaving traces of the initial impression visible alongside the final mintmark. On RPM-003, the first D impression sits to the East of the final position, creating a visible doubled mintmark where the original impression peeks out from behind the corrected letter. The 1942-D Mercury Dime was struck in 90% silver composition — the standard for dimes from 1837 through 1964 — and the date falls within the World War II era when Mint production was adjusting to wartime demands. Adolph A. Weinman's Mercury Dime design, featuring a winged Liberty head (often mistaken for the Roman god Mercury), had been in production since 1916 and would continue through 1945. VarietyVista notes that specimens are still needed for new digital photographs and additional die stage documentation, indicating active research interest in this variety. The D/D East directional attribution specifies the exact relationship between the initial and final mintmark positions, essential information for positive identification.

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