1961 (D) Lincoln Memorial Cent - Repunched Mintmark RPM-017

Description

Notable for the presence of die clash evidence on its reverse, RPM-017 on the 1961-D Lincoln Memorial Cent is documented by VarietyVista as UVC-788 with die marriage record DMR-025. The repunching shows a D/D/D triple-punched mintmark displaced to the east on the lower serif. Three die stages chronicle the die's service life and the fate of its die clash. Stage A records both the obverse and reverse in Early Die State (EDS), with the reverse exhibiting numerous east-west die scratches — tooling marks that are characteristic of die preparation or early production adjustments. By Stage B, the die has advanced to Mid Die State (MDS), and more complex diagnostics have appeared: die scratches running northeast behind the bust on the obverse, a depression forming on the right cornice at MDS, and — most significantly — a die clash showing in the third bay of the Memorial. A die clash occurs when the obverse and reverse dies strike each other without a planchet between them, transferring elements of each die's design onto the opposing die face. The third-bay die clash would appear as ghostly traces of obverse design elements impressed into the reverse die's building interior. Stage C (LDS) reveals that the die clash has been abraded away — Mint personnel identified the clash marks and polished the die surface to remove them, a standard remedial procedure. The abrading also produced the obverse's LDS condition, while a die break on the right cornice confirms structural deterioration at LDS.

Die Markers

• UVC-788
• DMR-025
• Stage A:
• Obverse is EDS
• Numerous die scratches East-West on Reverse – EDS
• Stage B:
• Die scratches Northeast behind bust – MDS
• Depression on Right cornice – MDS
• Die clash shows in third bay
• Stage C:
• Obverse is LDS
• Die break on Right cornice – LDS
• Die clash has been abraded away

External References