1989-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-002

Description

Carrying VarietyVista reference codes UVC-1030 and DMR-003, the 1989-D RPM-002 is a D/D East repunched mintmark — the second punch of the Denver mint mark landed due east of the initial impression, producing a secondary D image displaced directly to the right. Three die stages are documented: Stage A at early die state (unconfirmed), Stage B with both obverse and reverse at mid-die state, and Stage C at late die state (unconfirmed). The directional difference between RPM-001 (D/D Southeast) and RPM-002 (D/D East) confirms these are products of two entirely different working dies, each receiving its mint mark punch from a separate application event with a distinct offset direction. Repunched mintmark varieties from 1989 hold a special place in the Lincoln cent variety canon as witnesses to the final chapter of a practice dating back to the earliest days of U.S. branch mint coinage. When the Mint switched to placing the mint mark on the master die in 1990, it ensured uniform mint mark positioning across all working dies, eliminating the human variability that had produced RPM varieties for over a century. Collectors seeking 1989-D RPMs are therefore pursuing some of the last examples of a variety type with deep historical roots in American coinage. Struck on copper-plated zinc planchets (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper) at 2.5 grams and 19mm.

Die Markers

• UVC-1030
• DMR-003
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

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

External References