1952-S Repunched Mintmark RPM-002

Description

Documented by VarietyVista with die markers UVC-384 and DMR-003, this 1952-S Jefferson Nickel exhibits a repunched mintmark variety where the S was applied more than once to the working die at the San Francisco Mint. Three documented die stages capture the production timeline: Stage A places both the reverse and obverse in early die state (EDS), Stage B is mid-die-state (MDS, unconfirmed), and Stage C documents both the reverse and obverse in late die state (LDS). The confirmed EDS and LDS stages bookend the variety's production life, allowing collectors to compare specimens against both the freshest and most deteriorated known states. The Jefferson Nickel was designed by Felix Schlag, featuring Thomas Jefferson's portrait on the obverse and his Monticello estate on the reverse. Struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1952 in standard copper-nickel composition (75% copper, 25% nickel) weighing 5.00 grams with a diameter of 21.21 mm, the 1952-S nickel was produced during a period when the San Francisco facility maintained steady nickel production for Western circulation channels. The S mintmark was hand-punched into each individual working die, and the second cataloged RPM for this date-mint (RPM-002) suggests a relatively modest variety population compared to some higher-mintage dates. Repunched mintmark varieties on early 1950s Jefferson Nickels remain collectible because they document the pre-automation era of mintmark application, when each die received its branch-mint identifier through a manual punching process that was inherently subject to positional variation. Examination under 10x magnification focused on the S mintmark area best reveals the offset between the primary and secondary impressions.

Die Markers

• UVC-384
• DMR-003
• Stage A:
• Reverse and Obverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Reverse and Obverse are LDS

External References