1968-S Repunched Mintmark RPM-001

Description

The primary repunched mint mark variety for the 1968-S Proof Kennedy Half Dollar, the RPM-001 shows the S mint mark punched south of its final position, with remnants of the initial placement visible below the accepted mint mark (S/S South). Repunched mint marks on proof coinage are particularly diagnostic because the mirror-like fields and sharp strikes of proof coins render even subtle mint mark displacement with exceptional clarity. The 1968-S Proof Kennedy Half Dollar belongs to the silver clad composition era (1965-1970), when proof half dollars were struck on 40% silver planchets at the San Francisco Mint — a premium composition that adds numismatic value beyond the variety itself. The resumption of proof set production at San Francisco in 1968, after the 1965-1967 Special Mint Set hiatus, saw mint marks being individually hand-punched into working dies, a process inherently susceptible to positioning errors. As RPM-001, this is the top-ranked repunched mint mark for the date, and the southward displacement direction provides a clear diagnostic: the lower curves of the initial S punch should be visible below the final S when examined under magnification.

External References