1988 (D) Lincoln Memorial Cent - Repunched Mintmark WRPM-014

Description

Carrying the Wexler designation WRPM-014, this 1988-D Lincoln Memorial cent repunched mintmark has no currently known cross-references in the CONECA or Coppercoins catalogs, making the Wexler listing the sole authoritative attribution source. The absence of cross-references does not diminish the variety's legitimacy — it simply reflects the independent cataloging timelines of different attribution services, where a variety documented by one organization may not yet have been examined or assigned a number by another. Repunched mintmarks from 1988-D cents occupy a historically significant position in U.S. numismatics as products of the penultimate year of manual mintmark application at the Denver Mint. The hand-punching technique required the engraver to align a steel punch bearing the letter D over the designated mintmark position on the working die and strike it with a hammer, a process that demanded both precision and physical skill. Even slight angular errors or positional drift between successive strikes produced the overlapping impressions that define an RPM variety. Struck at the Denver Mint on copper-plated zinc planchets (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper) at 2.5 grams and 19mm.

Cross References

• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1988-D 1¢ WRPM-014

External References