1942-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-006

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista with die markers UVC-115 and DMR-008, this 1942-D Lincoln Wheat Cent RPM-006 presents a D/D repunched mintmark displaced to the southwest — meaning the initial D punch application landed slightly northeast of its target, and the corrective second strike repositioned the final letter to the southwest, leaving remnants of the first impression visible at the northeastern edges. Three die stages document this die's progression: Stage A is early die state (EDS, unconfirmed); Stage B shows both the obverse and reverse at mid-die-state (MDS); and Stage C records both at late die state (LDS). The symmetric MDS-to-LDS deterioration across both dies suggests they were paired throughout their entire service life without the individual die replacement that sometimes occurred when one die in a pair failed before the other. The 1942-D Lincoln Wheat Cent was struck at the Denver Mint in the standard bronze composition of 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc, weighing 3.11 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter. This was the last full year of standard bronze cent production before the 1943 transition to zinc-coated steel composition mandated by wartime copper conservation, making 1942-D bronze cents the final pre-steel specimens from the Denver facility. Victor David Brenner's obverse Lincoln portrait had been in continuous use since 1909, and the wheat ears reverse design served from 1909 through 1958. The southwest displacement direction of this RPM-006 provides a different offset from other 1942-D varieties — such as RPM-008's southwest orientation as well — and collectors should examine the mintmark under 10x magnification for secondary D traces protruding from the northeast quadrant of the primary letter to confirm this specific variety attribution.

Die Markers

• UVC-115
• DMR-008
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• Obverse and Reverse are LDS

Attribution History

• Discovered by John Andrade
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References