1961-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-030
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Description
Cataloged by VarietyVista as UVC-806 with die marriage record DMR-043, RPM-030 on the 1961-D Lincoln Memorial Cent is a repunched mintmark variety with three die stages documenting a compact die life. Stage A records the die in Early Die State (EDS), where numerous die scratches running east-west are visible across the obverse surface, with the reverse also at EDS. These east-west scratches may represent residual tooling marks from die preparation or early production adjustments, and their presence across the obverse provides a useful diagnostic for identifying the earliest specimens struck from this die. By Stage B, the die has advanced to Mid Die State (MDS), and the obverse die scratches have been replaced by a different diagnostic: a die gouge dot visible under the O of GOD in the motto IN GOD WE TRUST. The reverse has also reached MDS at this point. The transition from widespread surface scratches at Stage A to a localized gouge dot at Stage B suggests that normal die wear erased the earlier scratches while die steel fatigue produced the new gouge — a common pattern in die deterioration where one generation of surface features gives way to the next. Stage C carries an unconfirmed Late Die State (LDS) classification for the terminal phase. Although RPM-030 presents a relatively brief three-stage record compared to the more extensively documented varieties in the 1961-D series, the contrasting diagnostic features between its early and mid stages make each die state readily distinguishable.
Die Markers
- UVC-806
- DMR-043
- Stage A:
- Numerous die scratches East-West on Obverse – EDS
- Reverse is EDS
- Stage B:
- Die gouge dot under the O of GOD – MDS
- Reverse is MDS
- Stage C:
- LDS (unconfirmed)