1952-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-018

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista with die markers UVC-429 and DMR-020, this 1952-D Lincoln Wheat Cent RPM-018 is a repunched mintmark variety where the D mintmark received multiple applications during die preparation at the Denver Mint, with the earlier impression position remaining partially visible alongside the final corrected placement. Three die stages document this die's operational history: Stage A records both the obverse and reverse at early die state (EDS), providing the cleanest observation window for examining the repunched mintmark features before subsequent wear softens the secondary impression; Stage B shows both at mid-die-state (MDS); and Stage C is late die state (LDS, unconfirmed). The confirmed EDS observation is valuable because early die state specimens preserve the sharpest detail of the secondary D impression, which progressively diminishes as the die surface wears through tens of thousands of additional strikes. The 1952-D Lincoln Wheat Cent was struck at the Denver Mint in the standard bronze composition of 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc, weighing 3.11 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter. The 1952-D had a mintage of approximately 746.1 million pieces — a substantial production figure that required a large working die population, with each die receiving its D mintmark through individual hand-punching by Mint engravers. Victor David Brenner designed the obverse portrait of Abraham Lincoln, and the wheat ears reverse served from 1909 through 1958. As the 18th cataloged RPM for the 1952-D date, this variety demonstrates that the manual mintmark process produced measurable positional variations across numerous working dies, each documenting a unique instance where the engraver's punch placement on the first application deviated enough from the target to leave visible evidence of repositioning.

Die Markers

• UVC-429
• DMR-020
• Stage A:
• Obverse and Reverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

External References