1953-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-010

Description

Documented by VarietyVista, this Denver Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent RPM-010 tracks through four die stages — an unusually long service life for a single die. Die markers UVC-462 / DMR-012: Stage A at EDS (unconfirmed); Stage B with obverse and reverse at MDS; Stage C with obverse at LDS and a die chip on the T of CENT at LDS; Stage D with a die chip consuming the whole 9 of the date at VLDS and reverse at VLDS. The progressive die breakdown from a localized T chip in Stage C to the complete 9-digit chip in Stage D documents catastrophic die deterioration. Composed of 95% copper and 5% tin-zinc at 3.11 grams and 19.05 mm, the 1953-D had a Denver mintage of approximately 700.5 million cents, a high-volume production year. The four documented stages make this variety valuable for studying die lifecycle.

Die Markers

• UVC-462
• DMR-012
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• Obverse is LDS
• Die chip on T of CENT – LDS
• Stage D:
• Die chip whole 9 of date – VLDS
• Reverse is VLDS

External References