1961-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-018

Description

Tracked by VarietyVista across two die marriage records — DMR-026 (UVC-789) and DMR-027 (UVC-790) — RPM-018 on the 1961-D Lincoln Memorial Cent is a D/D/D triple-punched repunched mintmark displaced to the east on the lower serif. Five die stages document the die's journey from initial production through a reverse die change and into terminal deterioration. Under the first pairing (DMR-026, UVC-789), Stage A records both the obverse and reverse in Early Die State (EDS). Stage B advances the obverse to Early-Mid Die State (EMDS), marked by a small die chip on Memorial column 1 and a depression forming on column 12. By Stage C (MDS), a light die crack has appeared on the forehead and the column 12 depression has escalated to a full die break. Stage D continues the column 12 narrative at Late Die State (LDS), where an additional die break has developed on column 12 alongside a depression at the right eave. The recurring column 12 damage across Stages B through D reveals a persistent structural weakness in the die steel at that location, with the failure mode progressing from depression to break to additional break across three successive stages. When the reverse die was changed (DMR-027, UVC-790), Stage E pairs the obverse at Very Late Die State (VLDS) with a replacement reverse at LDS. The two die marriages and the progressive column 12 failure sequence make RPM-018 a compelling study in localized die steel weakness.

Die Markers

• UVC-789
• DMR-026
• Stage A:
• Obverse and Reverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• Obverse is EMDS
• Small die chip on column # 1 – EMDS
• Depression on column #12
• Stage C:
• Light die crack on forehead – MDS
• Die break on column #12 – MDS
• Stage D:
• Obverse is LDS
• Additional die break on column #12 – LDS
• Depression at Right eave
• UVC-790
• DMR-027
• Stage E:
• Obverse is VLDS
• Reverse die changed – LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by Unknown
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References