1954-D Repunched Mintmark WRPM-002

Description

Attributed by the Wexler Team under Wexler Variety ID: 1954-D 5¢ WRPM-002, this second documented repunched mintmark for the 1954 Denver Mint Jefferson Nickel shows evidence of the D mintmark having been punched into the working die more than once at slightly different positions. During the mid-twentieth century, mintmarks were added to working dies individually by hand using a small steel punch, and if the Mint engraver's first impression was not perfectly positioned, a second (or third) punch would be applied at a corrected location. The overlapping impressions produce the characteristic doubled or shifted appearance that defines a repunched mintmark. By 1954, the Jefferson Nickel series designed by Felix Schlag had been in production for sixteen years, and Denver routinely struck large quantities to supply the western half of the nation's commerce. The hand-punching method inherently introduced variability, making RPMs a common variety type on pre-1990 coinage — the U.S. Mint did not begin incorporating mintmarks directly into the master die until 1990, which eliminated the per-die hand-punching that created repunched mintmark varieties. No independent cross-references beyond the Wexler attribution are currently known for WRPM-002. Jefferson Nickel RPMs from the 1950s represent an accessible entry point for variety collectors, as the series circulated widely and substantial populations survive in all grades.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian Ribar Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1954-D 5¢ WRPM-002
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References