1953-S Repunched Mintmark RPM-003

Description

Documented by VarietyVista with die markers UVC-389 and DMR-004, this 1953-S Jefferson Nickel exhibits an S/S repunched mintmark where the secondary impression is rotated counterclockwise relative to the primary — a rotational offset producing a distinctive fanned appearance where different portions of the S show varying degrees of separation depending on their distance from the rotation's pivot point. Three documented die stages capture the production timeline: Stage A is early die state (EDS, unconfirmed), Stage B places both the reverse and obverse in mid-die-state (MDS), and Stage C documents both in late die state (LDS). The confirmed MDS and LDS stages provide reference points for evaluating specimens, with earlier die states likely showing the cleanest view of the counterclockwise rotation before die wear softens the diagnostic details. The Jefferson Nickel was designed by Felix Schlag, with Thomas Jefferson's portrait on the obverse and his Monticello estate on the reverse, struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1953 in standard copper-nickel composition (75% copper, 25% nickel) weighing 5.00 grams with a diameter of 21.21 mm. The S mintmark was hand-punched into each working die at the San Francisco facility, and rotational misalignment — where the punch was held at a slightly different angle on the second application — produces a diagnostically distinct pattern from simple directional shifts. Counterclockwise-rotated RPMs create an asymmetric separation pattern where one side of the S shows greater offset than the other, and the direction of this asymmetry directly reveals the angular relationship between the two punch applications, providing attribution specialists with geometric evidence of the engraver's corrective action.

Die Markers

• UVC-389
• DMR-004
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Reverse and Obverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• Reverse and Obverse are LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jerome Goodman
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References