1942-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-007

Description

Following RPM-006 in the catalog, RPM-007 of the 1942-D Mercury Dime shifts from southeast to southwest — the secondary D below and to the left of the primary. The contrast illustrates how each working die received its mintmark independently: two dies prepared on the same day could produce repunchings in opposite directions simply because the technician's hand moved differently between strikes. Southwest displacement positions the ghost D in the lower-left quadrant, where it may appear as a partial outline or thickened stroke beneath the vertical bar of the letter. Among the seventeen-plus RPM varieties for the 1942-D, southwest appears on multiple entries, each separated by distinct die markers, degree of displacement, and secondary impression characteristics. The wartime Denver Mint processed silver planchets at rates that would have been exceptional years earlier, yet the hand-punching step remained an artisanal bottleneck in an increasingly mechanized process. Weinman's design, in 90% silver at 17.9mm, carries the D on the reverse left of the fasces. Inspect the lower-left area of the D for the southwest-displaced secondary impression.

External References