I can't figure out if this is an RPM or Post Machine Damage or both. These pics are the best I can get so far. What do you think it is? I bought this BU dime and nineteen other BU's from APMEX.
I just looked in the PCGS POP report and they do not list a 1944-S/S as a standard varitiey. Someone needs to look in volume 1 of the Cherry Pickers guide to see if there is a known varitiey. I only have vol. 2 so not much help here.
My gosh, Mercury, Mercury, Mercury. This is how wrapped up I am in this little mintmark thing. Thanks Cookiemonster12! zeke
I have one more Mercury BU dime with the same gouge out of the lower serif of the " S " but no other image behind it. Photos coming. Nope, cannot find it. It must be the same one as above and I thought I had another one. I'm gettin' punchy. My apologies.
Could it be a knob tailed S? This inverted mint mark variety is known to exist in 44/45-S dimes. Might be worth checking into: http://dimeguru.com/ for some pics.
okay, everyone DUCK! Here it comes: I disagree. If you look at the top right point of the S there appears to be another point from another S. I know that it may not be possible, but it appears to be an RPM, over a smaller S punch. Or a re-punch over a partially defaced S previously punched. The original S punch may have been at too severe an angle for the die maker. Or I could be wrong, and (God forbid) Doug may be right.
One thing Frank - how does an over-mint mark create the depression/hit in the bottom half of the top mint mark ? The only thing that can do that is post mint hit. What I think you are seeing are die chips, nothing more.
The mintmark was just hit at a certain angle creating what LOOKS LIKE a RPM. I'm agreeing that it's actually post mint damage. -Brian
I agree with Treasurehunt. Whatever the original mintmark is, it is not the same shape as the top one. No amount of damage could have moved or skewed the top mintmart to cause what we see. The vertical line below the top MM's first ess curve has me really puzzled. Could it be a reversed ' S' ? There is definetely something there other than the top MM.
