1946-S Repunched Mintmark WRPM-004

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1946-S 5¢ WRPM-004, this Jefferson Nickel displays an S/S/S triple-punched mintmark with the second and third impressions both displaced to the west of the primary — a rare triple repunched mintmark where the San Francisco S punch was applied three separate times, with the second and third strikes landing west of the initial impression. Triple RPMs are less common than standard double-punched varieties because they require the mintmark punch to have been applied, found unsatisfactory, and re-struck not once but twice after the initial placement, each time with the punch held in a slightly different position. Two documented die stages on the obverse provide diagnostic progression: Stage A shows north-northeast to south-southwest die gouges in the upper area of RUS in TRUST, while Stage B adds a die gouge south of the 4 in the date. Reverse Stage A markers include a die scratch running southeast from the lower area of the left leg of the A in STATES, a second longer north-northwest to south-southeast die scratch to its right, and a die scratch running south-southwest to north-northeast in the right arch of Monticello. Reverse Stage B adds a die gouge south of the first U in PLURIBUS. No cross-references to other cataloging systems are currently known. Felix Schlag designed the Jefferson Nickel, struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1946 — the first full post-war production year — in 75% copper and 25% nickel at 5.00 grams with a 21.21 mm diameter, returning to the standard composition after the wartime silver alloy (1942-1945) nickels. The S/S/S westward displacement pattern documents three distinct moments in the hand-punching process at the San Francisco Mint, providing a micro-historical record of die preparation preserved in the working die's mintmark area and transferred to every coin subsequently struck from that die.

Attribution History

• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1946-S 5¢ WRPM-004
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References