1968 (D) Kennedy Half Dollar - Repunched Mintmark RPM-001

Description

Bearing the benchmark RPM-001 designation for the 1968-D Kennedy half dollar silver-clad issue, this primary repunched mintmark documents a D/D North variety — the most significant RPM cataloged for this date, where the initial mintmark impression was placed north (above) the final D position, leaving a partial ghost D visible above the primary letter. The 1968-D Kennedy half holds transitional significance as it comes from the period when the denomination still used the 40% silver-clad composition (1965-1970), making these coins inherently more valuable than the copper-nickel clad halves that followed in 1971. Gilroy Roberts' Kennedy obverse and Frank Gasparro's heraldic eagle reverse provide the design context, with the D mintmark positioned on the reverse beneath the eagle's tail feathers. Denver struck approximately 246.95 million silver-clad Kennedy half dollars in 1968, a substantial output that consumed numerous die pairs. The 1968 date also represents the first year mintmarks returned to coinage after the 1965-1967 suspension, and the resumption of mintmark application — hand-punched into each working die individually — naturally produced the placement variations that create RPM varieties. The D/D North displacement creates a diagnostic where the upper curves and serifs of the ghost D extend above the corresponding features of the primary letter. As RPM-001, this is the benchmark repunched mintmark for the 1968-D half dollar, representing either the most prominent or earliest-documented RPM for the date. The silver-clad composition adds a material dimension to the collector appeal, as any variety on a silver-content Kennedy half carries the combined premiums of precious metal content and die variety attribution. Collectors should examine the D mintmark under 15-20x magnification, looking for the secondary D impression extending upward from the primary letter.

Die Markers

• UVC-133
• DMR-010
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse is EMDS
• Reverse is RDV-002 (Flared G) – EMDS
• Stage C:
• Light die clash in front of forehead – MDS
• Numerous light die scratches North-South on Obverse
• Light die scratches on lower Reverse – MDS
• Stage D:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

External References