1948-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-003

Description

Documented by VarietyVista with die marker codes UVC-300 and DMR-004, this 1948-D Lincoln Wheat Cent RPM-003 exhibits a D/D repunched mintmark that community comments describe as rotated counterclockwise (D/D Rotated CCW) — indicating the Denver Mint engraver applied the second punch at a slightly different rotational angle than the first, creating a CCW rotational offset between the two impressions rather than a simple directional displacement. Three die stages are documented: Stage A with both obverse and reverse in early die state (EDS); Stage B at mid-die-state (MDS), unconfirmed; and Stage C at late die state (LDS), also unconfirmed. The rotational component of this RPM is diagnostically important because it creates a distinctive visual pattern where the secondary D appears to fan away from the primary at varying angles around the letter's perimeter — different from straight-line directional RPMs where the secondary impression maintains a consistent offset direction. The 1948-D Lincoln Wheat Cent was struck at the Denver Mint in standard bronze composition (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc) weighing 3.11 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter, returning to peacetime production after the wartime composition changes of 1943-1945. Victor David Brenner designed the obverse portrait, and the wheat ears reverse continued its four-decade run. The 1948-D had a mintage of approximately 172.6 million pieces, and the third cataloged RPM for this date-mint combination documents one of several mintmark positioning events that occurred across the Denver facility's working die population. Examination under 10x magnification reveals the CCW rotation most clearly at the D's serifs and curved sections, where the angular displacement between primary and secondary impressions is most measurable.

Die Markers

• UVC-300
• DMR-004
• Stage A:
• Obverse and Reverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by James Wiles
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References