1946-S Repunched Mintmark WRPM-001

Description

Attributed by the Wexler Team as 1946-S 5¢ WRPM-001 and cross-referenced as CONECA RPM #2, this Jefferson Nickel is a repunched mintmark variety where the S mintmark received multiple applications during die preparation at the San Francisco Mint. As WRPM-001 and CONECA RPM #2 for the 1946-S nickel, this variety holds a primary catalog position indicating it is among the most prominent or earliest documented RPMs for this date-mint combination. Obverse die markers include a north-south die scratch between the center of Jefferson's chin and the collar and a north-south die scratch in the field east of the ribbon knot. The reverse carries extensive marker documentation: two short die scratches connecting the lower center of the M in UNUM to the bottom of the right leg, a die scratch running north-northwest to south-southeast above the right side of the right porch, a short die gouge extending south from the rim above the S of PLURIBUS, and a series of short die scratches running south from the steps above the N of MONTICELLO. These reverse markers concentrated around the Monticello building's architectural features — porch, steps, and surrounding inscriptions — provide a robust fingerprint for this specific working die. The Jefferson Nickel was designed by Felix Schlag, with both the obverse Jefferson portrait and the Monticello reverse serving from 1938 through 2003. Struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1946 in copper-nickel composition (75% copper, 25% nickel) weighing 5.0 grams with a 21.21 mm diameter, the 1946-S had a mintage of approximately 13.6 million pieces. The CONECA RPM #2 cross-reference confirms independent verification by the Combined Organizations of Numismatic Error Collectors of America, reinforcing the attribution's reliability.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John A. Wexler Cross References: CONECA: RPM #2
• CONECA: RPM #2; Wexler Variety ID: 1946-S 5¢ WRPM-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References