1988-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-005

Description

Distinguished from the preceding three westward-offset varieties, RPM-005 on the 1988-D Lincoln Memorial cent shows a D/D Rotated CCW (counterclockwise) repunched mintmark, cataloged by VarietyVista with die markers UVC-1028 and DMR-006. A rotated repunched mintmark occurs when the secondary punch was not merely shifted in a cardinal direction but was applied with the letter punch itself twisted slightly from its intended orientation, producing overlapping traces where one D appears rotated relative to the other. Counterclockwise rotation means the top of the earlier D punch leans to the left compared to the final upright D, creating diagnostic traces that differ in character from the simple lateral shifts seen on D/D West varieties. Rotational RPMs are generally less common than directional offsets because the punch operator had to both misposition and misrotate the punch — a compound error rather than a simple linear shift. This variety is documented at Stage A in EDS (confirmed), Stage B in MDS (confirmed), and Stage C in LDS (unconfirmed), with confirmed observations at both early and mid-die states providing a documented progression of how the repunching evidence appears as the die ages through its production life. Struck at the Denver Mint on copper-plated zinc planchets (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper) at 2.5 grams and 19mm.

Die Markers

• UVC-1028
• DMR-006
• Stage A:
• Obverse and Reverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by John Conway
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References