1968-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-002

Description

Documented by VarietyVista as UVC-433 with die marriage reference DMR-003, the 1968-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-002 Jefferson Nickel carries die state documentation showing an interesting asymmetry in wear progression: Stage A presents the obverse in early die state while the reverse is already in mid-die-state, Stage B is listed as mid-die-state (unconfirmed), and Stage C as late die state (unconfirmed). The reverse's more advanced wear in Stage A relative to the obverse suggests either that this reverse die had previously been paired with a different obverse die before being combined with this one, or that the reverse die's design geometry caused it to wear faster under identical striking conditions. The 1968-D marks a significant year in Jefferson Nickel collecting because it followed the 1965-1967 period during which the U.S. Mint removed all mintmarks from coins in an effort to discourage speculative hoarding during the coin shortage crisis — mintmarks returned in 1968, resuming the hand-punched mintmark application process that generates repunched mintmark varieties. Felix Schlag's obverse portrait of Thomas Jefferson and the Monticello reverse have defined the nickel's visual identity since 1938. Composed of 75% copper and 25% nickel, the coin weighs 5.00 grams with a 21.2 mm diameter and a plain edge. The Denver Mint's hand-punching of the D mintmark into each individual working die during this post-hiatus period created the conditions for RPM-002 and its companion varieties, with each die's mintmark placement representing a unique manual operation performed by a die preparation specialist.

Die Markers

• UVC-433
• DMR-003
• Stage A:
• Obverse is EDS
• Reverse is MDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

External References