1948-S Repunched Mintmark WRPM-005

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1948-S 5¢ WRPM-005, this Jefferson Nickel exhibits an S/S South repunched mintmark — meaning the initial S mintmark was placed too high and the corrective second punch positioned lower (south), leaving remnants of the first impression visible above the final mintmark placement. This variety is additionally notable as a combination piece because the reverse is independently documented as a doubled die listed in the Wexler files as 1948-S 5¢ WDDR-001, displaying close Class II doubling on E PLURIBUS UNUM that increases from left to right — a left-to-right intensifying pattern indicating the distortion epicenter lies toward the right side of the die. Obverse die markers include strong north-south die gouges at the top right of Jefferson's forehead and die scratches through the BER of LIBERTY — prominent features that serve as quick identification points on the obverse. The combination of a repunched mintmark with a doubled die reverse on the same coin creates a dual-variety specimen that documents two independent manufacturing anomalies: the hand-punching error on the mintmark and the hubbing misalignment on the reverse die. The Jefferson Nickel was designed by Felix Schlag, struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1948 in copper-nickel composition (75% copper, 25% nickel) weighing 5.0 grams with a 21.21 mm diameter. The manual mintmark application process used through 1989 involved a Mint employee physically hammering a small letter punch into each working die, and the S/S South displacement documents a specific instance where the first impression landed high, necessitating the corrective repunching that created this collected variety.

Attribution History

• s:; Wexler Variety ID: 1948-S 5¢ WRPM-005
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References