1945-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-007

Description

Seventh in the repunched mintmark census for the final Denver issue of Adolph A. Weinman's Mercury dime, RPM-007 documents a D mintmark punched over a prior D displaced to the west — noted as D/D West. Denver struck approximately 40.25 million Mercury dimes in 1945, the highest D-mint output for the entire series, driven by the wartime economy's voracious demand for circulating coinage in the final year of World War II. That massive production required an extraordinary number of working dies, and the depth of the RPM census — reaching at least seven documented varieties — reflects the sheer volume of individual hand-punching operations performed to prepare dies for this single date and mint combination. The Mercury dime series concluded in 1945 when the Treasury Department authorized John R. Sinnock's Roosevelt dime to honor the recently deceased president, making every 1945 variety part of the design's terminal production year. The westward displacement means the first D impression was placed to the left of the intended final position, and the remnant of that initial attempt should appear at the left edge of the primary mintmark when examining the coin in standard upright orientation. Weinman positioned the mintmark on the reverse near the lower portion of the fasces, in a field area that is typically well-protected from heavy circulation wear, allowing the delicate RPM diagnostics to survive on coins graded as low as Fine or Very Fine. Collectors should direct fiber-optic lighting from the right side at approximately 15-20x magnification, casting shadows westward to accentuate any remnant serif or stroke extending from the left boundary of the D. Comparing RPM-007 against the other six documented 1945-D RPM varieties requires attention to the specific direction and magnitude of displacement, as the census includes multiple directional orientations that must be distinguished from one another for accurate attribution.

External References