1964 (D) Kennedy Half Dollar - Repunched Mintmark RPM-009

Description

Ninth repunched mintmark documented for the 1964 Denver Mint Kennedy Half Dollar, RPM-009 displays a D over D with a clockwise rotation — meaning the secondary D mintmark impression is rotated clockwise relative to the primary punch, creating visible traces of the initial position beneath or adjacent to the final placement. The notation "RDV-001 (Straight G)" identifies the reverse die variety as the first cataloged reverse die with a straight G characteristic, providing a secondary attribution point beyond the mintmark anomaly itself. Repunched mintmarks on 1964 Kennedy Half Dollars occurred during die preparation at the Philadelphia Mint, where individual D mintmarks were hand-punched into working dies destined for Denver Mint production. The manual punching process was inherently imprecise — the engraver positioned a steel punch bearing the letter D against the die surface and struck it with a mallet, and if the initial impression was misaligned, a corrective second punch was applied. The rotational offset of a clockwise-rotated D/D creates a distinctive doubling pattern visible under moderate magnification. The 1964-D Kennedy Half Dollar carries immense collector significance as the first-year Denver Mint issue of the Kennedy memorial design, struck in 90% silver composition. Nine repunched mintmarks documented for this date reflects the intense scrutiny applied to this historically significant issue. The hand-punching of mintmarks continued through 1989, after which the Mint transitioned to incorporating mintmarks directly into the master die, effectively eliminating RPM varieties on subsequent coinage.

Die Markers

• UVC-330
• DMR-024
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Reverse and Obverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• Reverse and Obverse are LDS

External References