✅ SOLVED 43 Mercury Dime with a "2" Mint Mark

[Ed-D]

'43 Mercury Dime with a "2" Mint Mark

I had previously posted this in the Coins forum, but didn't get much info in response. So I thought I put it in this forum hoping more people would see it and maybe give me some more info.

I searched to see if there is such a thing as a "2" mint mark and came up with nothing. I also looked at it every which way thinking it could be a "S" or maybe a "micro s" that's been distorted by damage, but I can only see it as a "2". I have no other mercs with an S mm to compare it to. I've also looked into "repunches", but have only seen that term to mean repunching a typical S or D or O mint mark, not using a number.

Let me know...

 

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[nfldad]

that is definitely a rare find!! i have no idea if they ever put a '2' on any coin for a mint mark, very cool.. where did you find it?

 

[Broken knee]

It looks like it was in a fire witch might explain it ? HH
BK

 

[RobRieman]

There definetly were none minted with a 2 mint mark. I would guess by the condition that something smashed the right of the D to the left and made it appear as a 2. It's really a neat looking mint mark now though!

 

[cudamark]

Yeah, looks like a damaged mint mark early in it's life and lots of normal wear later.

 

[LuckyThirteen08]

No matter which way i look at it,even as a damaged D mm,I just cant see that ever being a correct D,In my opinion its definitely an error of some sort,Never seen anything like it,Interesting coin for sure,Thanks for sharing with all of us!

 

[Ed-D]

Regarding it looking like it was in a fire; probably not. I found it at the lake shore and all the silver I find that's been underwater comes out of the sand really dark. It's normal for silver. Although, yes, it does have a dimple going from back to front.

I have tried and tried to see this as a damaged D or a damaged S, but just can't see it. Maybe it's a damaged D over S repunch (or vice versa). Since I'm stumped I'm going to go with it being a million dollar one of a kind find!!!

 

[Jason in Enid]

I would take it to a coin dealer and ask his/her opinion on it.

 

[plymouthian12]

could it be a D mint mark and something cut the bottom part of the D separating it and giving it the appearance of the bottom part of a 2 ? if you took the straight line of the bottom of the 2 and pushed it up it would turn it back to a D just a thought

 

[Broken knee]

could it be a D mint mark and something cut the bottom part of the D separating it and giving it the appearance of the bottom part of a 2 ? if you took the straight line of the bottom of the 2 and pushed it up it would turn it back to a D just a thought

I think you got something there ? Mabe it was done by the person using the punch? HH
BK

 

[l.cutler]

It might also be a small die chip in a D mintmark.

 

[LinkHylian]

I know what it is-Rare, One of a kind, Error, did I mention Rare and worth money? No? Well then, RARE RARE RARE. The stamp quality matches that of the original coin. You'll take it to a dealer, they'll say the same thing, "oh I've never seen that" and then they'll offer you a Wal-Mart price for a DaVinci item. Save it or get it professionally graded.

 

[Breezie]

No matter which way i look at it,even as a damaged D mm,I just cant see that ever being a correct D,In my opinion its definitely an error of some sort,Never seen anything like it,Interesting coin for sure,Thanks for sharing with all of us!

I agree. No matter how I look at it, I can't see how a "D" was changed to make a "2," nor can I see how an "S" would make a perfect "2." I can see how the left side might/could have been changed, but not the right side. It's a perfect 2. Please keep us updated. Super neat find Breezie

 

[LuckyThirteen08]

I agree. No matter how I look at it, I can't see how a "D" was changed to make a "2," nor can I see how an "S" would make a perfect "2." I can see how the left side might/could have been changed, but not the right side. It's a perfect 2. Please keep us updated. Super neat find Breezie

Ive looked at this from every angle possible,even overlayed a D mm in photoshop over it,It was minted or repunched just like it is now, I cant even make a D or an S look right on this coin,I will give you 50 bucks for it,even if im wrong man it is still an awesome coin and id be happy to own it.Once again,Thanks for sharing!!

HH John

 

[grasshopper]

Could the S have been stamped backwards?

 

[cudamark]

The mint mark is not applied separately.....it's part of the die.

 

[cudamark]

It could be a D or S that had a piece of foreign material trapped in the die......called a filled die. Not all that uncommon. If the coin was uncirculated, it might be worth something but in it's current state, probably only worth a buck or two over scrap. I'd take the $50 offer and run!

 

[Mackaydon]

From 1909 to 1989 Lincoln Cent mintmarks were hand punched into the working dies near the final step of their production with the aid of a steel punch and a mallet. The technician could just as easily have picked up a numbered punch versus a lettered punch. I can only assume the same process was used on Mercury dimes in 1943 and that procedural 'error' created the "2" in this Merc.
I had originally thought it was a 'repunched' coin; now I believe it was the only punched once with the number "2", intentionally or not.
Don....

 

[Jason in Enid]

But if this was from a die which was punched incorrectly, there would be thousands of examples of this, and it would be a known error coin.

 

[l.cutler]

The only possibilities are:1. damage, there is a lot of damage on the coin in other areas, 2. a small piece of foreign material on the coin, or 3. a small die chip.