1949-S Repunched Mintmark WRPM-025

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1949-S 1-cent WRPM-025, this Lincoln Wheat Cent from the San Francisco Mint displays a repunched S mintmark with extensive die markers documenting progressive deterioration. Obverse diagnostics include a die scratch inside the loop of the 9, a die scratch running north from between the 1 and 9 into the field above, a die chip to the left of the 1, and die scratches running north from the tops of TY in LIBERTY. The reverse is equally well-characterized: a die gouge on the tip of the left wheat stalk, a die crack on the left wheat stalk running north then west to the rim, and a die crack on the upper right wheat stalk document late-stage die failure. No other cross-references are currently known. During the mid-20th century, S mintmarks were hand-punched into working dies at the Philadelphia Mint before shipment to San Francisco, and each manual application was susceptible to positional errors requiring correction — the repunching visible on WRPM-025 is the physical evidence of such a correction. The 1949-S Lincoln Wheat Cent was struck in 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc, weighing 3.11 grams at 19 mm diameter, with a San Francisco mintage of 64,290,000 cents. The extensive die cracking on both wheat stalks places confirmed specimens firmly in the late die state category, making this variety most commonly encountered on coins showing general die fatigue characteristics including slightly softened design details and possible rim irregularities.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian Ribar Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1949-S 1¢ WRPM-025
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References