1971-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-006

Description

Closing the documented VarietyVista repunched mintmark catalog for the 1971-D Lincoln Memorial cent, RPM-006 records a northward mintmark displacement — D/D North — on an ODV-027 obverse die without the re-engraved bowtie. The northward shift means the secondary D punch landed above the primary impression, leaving extra metal visible at the top of the mintmark under magnification. Cataloged with die markers UVC-951 and DMR-007, this variety tracks through three die stages. Stage A at Early Die State captures the northward repunching at maximum clarity. Stage B at Mid Die State records progressive wear across both surfaces as the die accumulates strike cycles. By Stage C at Late Die State, terminal fatigue has degraded the die's ability to produce sharp impressions. RPM-006's northward displacement completes the directional coverage across the 1971-D RPM catalog: tilted (RPM-001, RPM-002, RPM-003), south (RPM-004), west (RPM-005), and now north (RPM-006) — a range demonstrating that the hand-punching process could produce misalignment in virtually any direction depending on the technician's grip, angle, and force application. The 1971-D date's massive mintage of nearly 2.91 billion cents — requiring hundreds of working dies — ensured that the statistical probability of repunched mintmarks translated into a meaningful catalog of documented varieties spanning all directional categories. Six distinct RPM dies for a single date and mintmark reflects both Denver's production volume and the thoroughness with which variety collectors have examined the surviving population.

Die Markers

• UVC-951
• DMR-007
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Harry Ellis
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References