1971-S Repunched Mintmark RPM-007

Description

Carrying an incomplete attribution notation that reveals the ongoing nature of die variety research, RPM-007 on the 1971-S proof Lincoln Memorial cent is documented by VarietyVista as UVC-961 with DMR-009, but its obverse die variant designation reads "ODV-0??" — a placeholder indicating that the attributor has not yet examined a specimen in sufficient detail to assign a definitive ODV number. The accompanying note that a specimen is needed for color photos further emphasizes this variety's under-documented status within the 1971-S RPM catalog. The S/S South displacement shows the initial mintmark punch landing north of the intended position, with the corrective second punch shifting the S southward — the same directional geometry as the more thoroughly documented RPM-003, though on a different working die. All three die states remain in varying degrees of uncertainty: Stage A at EDS is unconfirmed, Stage B at MDS is unconfirmed, and Stage C at LDS is unconfirmed — a progression that exists more as a structural placeholder than a documented die state narrative. For proof dies, which received the San Francisco Mint's most careful preparation, the presence of a detectable S/S South RPM nonetheless demonstrates that hand-punching variability persisted regardless of the production context. The incomplete ODV designation makes RPM-007 a variety where collector specimens and detailed photographic documentation could directly advance the attribution record — any collector possessing a confirmed RPM-007 specimen could contribute the color photographs the attributor has noted as needed, potentially resolving the "ODV-0??" designation to its proper number. This incompleteness, far from diminishing the variety's interest, highlights the participatory nature of die variety research where collector submissions drive catalog development.

Die Markers

• UVC-961
• DMR-009
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Harry Ellis
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References