1968-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-001

Description

Cataloged by VarietyVista with die tracking code UVC-432 and die marker reference DMR-002, this 1968-D Jefferson Nickel RPM-001 holds the primary catalog position as the first and most significant repunched mintmark documented for the 1968-D date. Three documented die stages trace the working die's service life: Stage A shows the obverse in early die state (EDS) while the reverse is already in mid-die-state (MDS) — an asymmetric condition suggesting this reverse die had already accumulated some use before being paired with a fresh obverse die; Stage B is mid-die-state, unconfirmed; Stage C reaches late die state with both the obverse and reverse in LDS, documenting the terminal phase of both dies' service lives. The asymmetric die state progression between obverse and reverse stages — fresh obverse paired with worn reverse in Stage A — reveals the Mint's die management practices, where individual dies were paired, separated, and re-paired throughout their service lives rather than being permanently mated. The Jefferson Nickel was designed by Felix Schlag with the Monticello reverse, struck at the Denver Mint in 1968 in standard copper-nickel composition (75% copper, 25% nickel) weighing 5.00 grams with a diameter of 21.21 mm. The 1968 date follows the Mint's return to mintmarks in 1968 after their removal from 1965 through 1967 during the coinage shortage era — meaning 1968-D repunched mintmarks represent the renewed application of Denver mintmarks after a three-year absence, during which the Mint may have needed to re-establish its mintmark punching procedures and tooling at the Denver facility. As RPM-001, this variety holds the lead position in the VarietyVista attribution sequence for the 1968-D Jefferson Nickel, suggesting it was either the first discovered or the most prominent RPM known for this date-mint combination.

Die Markers

• UVC-432
• DMR-002
• Stage A:
• Obverse is EDS
• Reverse is MDS
• Stage B:
• MDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage C:
• Obverse and Reverse are LDS

External References