1962-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-012

Description

Within the extensive catalog of 1962-D Lincoln Memorial Cent repunched mintmarks, RPM-012 records yet another instance of the Denver "D" being impressed into the working die at a slightly misaligned position before the final corrective punch settled the mintmark into its intended location. The phenomenon was particularly common in high-volume production years like 1962, when the Denver Mint's output exceeded 1.79 billion cents and the Philadelphia Mint's die shop had to prepare hundreds of obverse dies, each requiring a hand-applied mintmark punch — a process inherently susceptible to minor positional variations. This variety carries VarietyVista designations UVC-866 and DMR-016, with three documented stages of die life. Stage A preserves both obverse and reverse in early die state (EDS), offering the crispest view of the repunched mintmark before die wear begins to soften the secondary impression. Stage B introduces a notable diagnostic: a die crack on Lincoln's forehead, a stress fracture in the die steel that developed as the die progressed into mid-die state (MDS), with the reverse advancing similarly. Stage C is cataloged as late die state (LDS) but remains unconfirmed. The forehead die crack is a particularly useful attribution marker because it occupies a prominent, easily inspected area of the design and can be spotted quickly even before the collector turns attention to the mintmark area for the more demanding task of confirming the secondary "D" impression.

Die Markers

• UVC-866
• DMR-016
• Stage A:
• Obverse and Reverse are EDS
• Stage B:
• Die crack on forehead – MDS
• Reverse is MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

External References