1971-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-007

Description

Seventh in the VarietyVista repunched mintmark catalog for the 1971-D Lincoln Memorial cent, RPM-007 documents a southward mintmark displacement — D/D South — on an obverse die classified as ODV-028, the variant bearing a re-engraved bowtie on Lincoln's portrait. Cataloged with die markers UVC-952 and DMR-008, this variety tracks through three documented die stages that chronicle the die's progression from fresh service through terminal wear. Stage A at Early Die State, though unconfirmed, would capture the southward repunching at its sharpest before production cycles begin degrading fine detail. Stage B records both obverse and reverse at Late-Mid Die State, where cumulative striking has softened the surfaces without yet reaching terminal deterioration. Stage C at Late Die State, also unconfirmed, represents the die's final production condition. The ODV-028 re-engraved tie links RPM-007 to RPM-002 and RPM-005 within the 1971-D RPM catalog — three varieties sharing the distinctive manually modified bowtie that separates ODV-028 dies from the unmodified ODV-027 group. RPM-007's southward displacement mirrors the direction documented for RPM-004, but the two varieties originate from entirely different physical dies: RPM-004 belongs to the ODV-027 group while RPM-007 carries the ODV-028 re-engraved tie, making the bowtie a reliable first-pass sorting criterion before examining mintmark displacement direction. For cherry-pickers working through quantities of 1971-D cents, the southward D displacement on RPM-007 produces extra metal visible below the primary mintmark under magnification, a diagnostic feature best examined with the coin oriented normally and a light source angled from above to cast shadows in the gap between primary and secondary impressions.

Die Markers

• UVC-952
• DMR-008
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are LMDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Michael L. Ellis
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References