1948-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-002

Description

Documented by VarietyVista with die marker codes UVC-299 and DMR-003, the 1948-D Lincoln Wheat Cent RPM-002 holds the second catalog position among repunched mintmark varieties for the 1948-D date-mint combination, indicating it was among the earliest documented or most significant D/D varieties identified for the year. Three die stages are documented: Stage A in early die state (EDS), unconfirmed; Stage B with both obverse and reverse at mid-die-state (MDS); and Stage C at late die state (LDS), also unconfirmed. The MDS confirmation for Stage B provides the standard reference condition for this variety. Unlike the companion 1948-D RPM-003 which is described as D/D Rotated CCW, no specific directional description appears in the comments for RPM-002, meaning attribution relies on the detailed die markers cataloged under DMR-003 for this specific reverse die. The 1948-D Lincoln Wheat Cent was struck at the Denver Mint in standard bronze composition (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc) weighing 3.11 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter during the early postwar period when cent production levels were expanding to meet peacetime economic demand. The Denver Mint's 1948 mintage was substantial, requiring a large working die population where each die received its D mintmark through individual hand punching. Victor David Brenner designed the obverse portrait, and the wheat ears reverse was in its 40th year. The close catalog proximity of RPM-002 and RPM-003 for the 1948-D date means collectors must carefully compare die markers between the two to ensure correct attribution, as both represent separate working dies with distinct mintmark positioning anomalies from the same production year.

Die Markers

• UVC-299
• DMR-003
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

External References