1943-S Repunched Mintmark RPM-001

Description

First documented repunched mintmark for the 1943-S Washington Quarter, RPM-001 holds the lead catalog position for this wartime San Francisco issue. Cataloged by VarietyVista under UVC-0371 and DMR-022, three die stages trace the die's production life from Stage A through Stage C. During 1943, the San Francisco Mint struck Washington Quarters in 90% silver while simultaneously handling wartime nickel production in the emergency silver alloy. Each working die received its S mintmark through hand-punching — a steel letter punch positioned individually and struck with a hammer blow into the die face. The inherent imprecision of this manual process meant that confirmatory strikes frequently created overlapping letter impressions. As RPM-001, this variety represents the first and typically most prominent repunched mintmark identified for the date, often carrying the clearest displacement visible at moderate magnification. San Francisco's wartime quarter production generated numerous die pairs, and the hand-punched mintmark process ensured repunched varieties appeared throughout.

Die Markers

• UVC-0371
• DMR-022
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Die crack down Right wing to Q of QUARTER – MDS
• Die crack across base of bust – MDS
• Stage C:
• Die crack Left wing to RIBUS of PLURIBUS – LDS
• Die crack in upper hair – LDS
• Die crack across base of bust into front field and into queue

External References