1946-D Repunched Mintmark WRPM-004

Description

Fourth in the Wexler-documented repunched mintmark census for the 1946-D Jefferson nickel, WRPM-004 shows the D mintmark punched over an initial D impression displaced to the southwest — the secondary strike visible as a shadow beneath and to the lower left of the accepted primary position. The Wexler Team documented precise obverse die markers: a small die gouge appearing as a dot to the left of the lower portion of Jefferson's nose, providing a quick identification point on Felix Schlag's portrait. The reverse carries its own diagnostic: a small die gouge above the first T in STATES, offering an independent confirmation point on the Monticello side. Denver struck approximately 45.29 million Jefferson nickels in 1946, the first post-war year when production resumed with the standard copper-nickel alloy after the wartime silver composition used from 1942 through 1945. The D mintmark returned to its pre-war position on the reverse to the right of Monticello's base, after having been placed prominently above the dome during the silver-alloy years. Repunched mintmarks occur because each working die received its mintmark through individual hand-punching — a mint worker positioned a letter punch against the die face and struck it with a hammer, and when the initial impression was judged misaligned, a correcting second blow repositioned the letter. Cross-referenced as CONECA RPM #4 and Wexler Variety ID 1946-D 5c WRPM-004, this variety carries dual attribution system documentation. The southwest displacement direction means the initial D sat lower and to the left of the final position, and collectors should examine the D mintmark under 10-15x magnification to detect the residual first impression emerging from beneath the corrected letter.

Attribution History

• Discovered by G.J. Lawson Cross References: CONECA: RPM #4
• CONECA: RPM #4; Wexler Variety ID: 1946-D 5¢ WRPM-004
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References