1970-S Repunched Mintmark WRPM-004

Description

Cataloged by the Wexler Team as 1970-S 5¢ Pr WRPM-004, this proof Jefferson Nickel exhibits a repunched mintmark variety produced at the San Francisco Mint specifically for inclusion in 1970 proof sets. The "Pr" designation confirms this variety occurs on proof strikes — coins produced on specially prepared planchets using polished dies with multiple strikes to achieve maximum detail and mirror-like fields. No cross-references to other cataloging systems are currently known. Obverse die markers include a small die gouge below the I of IN, while the reverse carries a short vertical die scratch between the lower R and I in AMERICA — two discrete markers that allow identification of this specific die pair. The Jefferson Nickel was designed by Felix Schlag, with Thomas Jefferson's portrait on the obverse and his Monticello estate on the reverse. Struck in 1970 at the San Francisco Mint in standard copper-nickel composition (75% copper, 25% nickel) weighing 5.00 grams with a diameter of 21.21 mm, proof nickels of this era were produced exclusively for collectors. Repunched mintmark varieties on proof coins are noteworthy because proof dies receive more careful preparation than business-strike dies, yet the manual mintmark punching process still occasionally produced misalignment that required correction. The 1970-S proof nickel was part of a proof set that also included the famous 1970-S small date Lincoln Cent, making 1970-S proof sets already popular with collectors and increasing the likelihood that specimens with RPM varieties would be preserved and eventually identified. The WRPM-004 designation as the fourth cataloged proof RPM for this date suggests a moderate variety population within the proof die inventory.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Brian Ribar Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1970-S 5¢ Pr WRPM-004
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References