1948-S Repunched Mintmark WRPM-007

Description

An S/S tilted (rotated) repunched mintmark, WRPM-007 for the 1948-S Jefferson nickel documents a case where the San Francisco mintmark punch was applied at a rotated angle before being corrected, leaving both the tilted initial impression and the properly oriented final impression visible on the struck coin. The Wexler Team attributed this variety under Wexler Variety ID 1948-S 5c WRPM-007, with the added note that the RPM photograph was taken by Brian Ribar. Obverse die markers include a small die gouge below the 4 in the date and north-south die scratches just to the right of the back of Jefferson's head. The reverse is marked by an extensive network of die scratches: NNW/SSE scratches to the right of Monticello and the mintmark, NW/SE scratches running through FIVE, and numerous additional scratches scattered throughout the reverse — a pattern suggesting this reverse die underwent significant use or polishing before being retired. San Francisco struck 11,300,000 Jefferson nickels in 1948, a moderate output that reflects the early postwar period's transitional production levels. The tilted/rotated RPM mechanism differs from the more common directional shifts (north, south, east, west) in that the mintmark letter appears rotated on its axis rather than simply displaced in one direction. This rotation creates a distinctive visual where the serifs or curves of the secondary S impression cross the primary S at angles rather than running parallel, making tilted RPMs among the more visually distinctive repunched mintmark types. Confirmation of WRPM-007 requires identifying the rotational offset of the initial S impression relative to the corrected final position, then cross-checking against the extensive die scratch pattern that fingerprints this specific reverse die.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian Ribar Cross References: None known Comments: The photo of the RPM was taken by Brian Ribar.
• None known Comments: The photo of the RPM was taken by Brian Ribar.; Wexler Variety ID: 1948-S 5¢ WRPM-007
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References