1953-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-027

Description

Hand-punching the D mintmark into this 1953 Denver Lincoln Wheat cent die involved a rotated clockwise placement, producing RPM-027 (UVC-1090, DMR-031) with the secondary D visible as a clockwise-rotated impression (D/D Rotated CW). Four die stages are documented. Stage A is early die state and unconfirmed. Stage B reaches mid-die-state but also lacks confirmed supplementary markers. Stage C shows both obverse and reverse in late die state. Stage D reveals significant deterioration at very late die state: a die crack and die chip have appeared on Lincoln's forehead, and the reverse has reached very late state as well. The rotated clockwise repunching is less common than simple directional shifts, as it indicates the mintmark punch was twisted between impressions rather than merely displaced in a cardinal direction. The forehead crack and chip in Stage D provide valuable attribution markers for advanced die state examples. Lincoln Wheat cents from the early 1950s remain widely available in uncirculated condition from original rolls, making RPM cherrypicking accessible to collectors at all budget levels.

Die Markers

• UVC-1090
• DMR-031
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Obverse and Reverse are LDS
• Stage D:
• Die crack and die chip on forehead – VLDS
• Reverse is VLDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Frank Baumann
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References