1970-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-001

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista as UVC-442 with die marriage reference DMR-002, the 1970-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-001 Jefferson Nickel features a D/D mintmark rotated clockwise from its initial position — meaning the Denver mintmark punch was applied once, then struck again at a slightly different rotational angle, leaving remnants of the first impression visible beneath or beside the corrected final placement. The die state progression documents three stages: Stage A shows the obverse in early die state while the reverse is in late die state; Stage B is cataloged as mid-die-state but remains unconfirmed; Stage C is listed as late die state, also unconfirmed. The asymmetric die wear between obverse and reverse in Stage A — with the obverse still fresh while the reverse shows advanced deterioration — suggests the reverse die saw more extensive use or was paired with this obverse after already serving with a previous obverse die. Felix Schlag's obverse portrait of Thomas Jefferson faces left, based on the Houdon bust, while the Monticello reverse depicts Jefferson's architectural masterpiece in Charlottesville, Virginia. Composed of 75% copper and 25% nickel, the coin weighs 5.00 grams with a diameter of 21.2 mm and a plain edge. The 1970-D Jefferson Nickel was struck at the Denver Mint during a period when mintmarks were still applied by hand using individual letter punches hammered into each working die — a process that continued until the U.S. Mint transitioned to placing mintmarks directly on the master die in 1990, eliminating repunched mintmark varieties from that point forward. As the RPM-001 designation for this date and mint, this variety holds the primary catalog position, typically indicating it was either the earliest documented or the most visually prominent repunched mintmark known for the 1970-D nickel.

Die Markers

• UVC-442
• DMR-002
• Stage A:
• Obverse is EDS
• Reverse is LDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Ken Chylinski
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References