1970 (S) Lincoln Memorial Cent - Large Date - Repunched Mintmark RPM-002

Description

Second in the VarietyVista repunched mintmark sequence for the 1970-S Lincoln Memorial cent, RPM-002 documents a Large Date business strike bearing the directional designation S/S West — the secondary mintmark punch landed to the left of the primary impression, leaving extra metal visible on the west side of the final S under magnification. Assigned to obverse die variety ODV-025 with die markers UVC-942 and DMR-004, this variety shares its obverse die design characteristics with RPM-001 while representing a physically distinct working die with its own unique mintmark displacement. Three die stages have been cataloged. Stage A at Early Die State captures the repunched mintmark at its clearest, before production wear begins softening the evidence. Stage B at Mid Die State introduces a diagnostic die marker: a scratch running through the 7 and through UNITED on the obverse, providing an attribution shortcut independent of the mintmark repunching itself. By Stage C at Late Die State, cumulative striking has advanced die fatigue across both surfaces. The westward displacement of RPM-002 contrasts with RPM-001's northward shift, demonstrating how the hand-punching process could produce different directional misalignments from die to die depending on the Mint technician's positioning. San Francisco's production of 1970 Lincoln cents — encompassing both business strikes and proofs, in both Large Date and Small Date hub varieties — created multiple opportunities for mintmark varieties as each working die received its S punch individually.

Die Markers

• UVC-942
• DMR-004
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Light die scratch North-South through 7 of date – MDS
• Die scratches through UNITED and under Left base – MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

External References