1949-S Repunched Mintmark WRPM-006

Description

Showing the mintmark position S/S West — indicating the initial S was punched west of its final position — this 1949-S Roosevelt Silver Dime repunched mintmark was submitted by Jeff Longueuay and attributed by the Wexler Team as 1949-S 10c WRPM-006. The westward displacement of the first S punch is visible as a trace of the initial impression to the left of the correctly positioned final mint mark, a diagnostic that requires magnification to resolve clearly given the small size of the S on the Roosevelt Dime reverse. Die markers aid attribution: NNE die scratches from the forehead on the obverse, a weak NNW/SSE die scratch between the S in PLURIBUS and the first U in UNUM on the reverse, and a die chip appearing as a dot above the lower acorn positioned closer to the leaves. No other cross-references are currently known beyond the Wexler designation. The 1949-S Roosevelt Dime was struck at the San Francisco Mint in 90% silver composition during the fourth year of the series. San Francisco's role in dime production during this era served the western United States' circulation needs, and the manual mintmark application process — where a die sinker hand-punched the S into each working die — inherently produced positional variation that die variety researchers have systematically documented across every S-mint Roosevelt Dime date. Six repunched mintmarks for the 1949-S reflects the frequency of misplaced initial punches during manual die preparation, and each RPM variety preserves a unique moment in the die sinker's work at the San Francisco facility. The westward displacement direction is one of the most common RPM orientations, consistent with the natural hand motion during punch placement.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jeff Longeuay (
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1949-S 10¢ WRPM-006
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References