1971-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-009

Description

Ninth in the VarietyVista repunched mintmark catalog for the 1971-D Lincoln Memorial cent, RPM-009 continues the southward displacement pattern with another D/D South variety on an ODV-027 obverse die without the re-engraved bowtie. Cataloged under UVC-3431 and DMR-012, this variety's die markers distinguish it efficiently from the other southward RPM varieties in the 1971-D catalog. Three die stages are documented. Stage A at Early Die State, though unconfirmed, represents the die at its freshest production condition. Stage B at Mid Die State introduces the variety's most distinctive attribution marker: a die scratch running northeast through the TY of LIBERTY — a prominent linear feature cutting across two letters of the obverse motto that can be detected without magnification on well-preserved specimens. The reverse at Mid Die State shows light die scratches running north-south across the lower portion, adding secondary confirmation. Stage C at Late Die State remains unconfirmed. The TY scratch serves as an unusually efficient screening criterion for cherry-pickers examining 1971-D cents: rather than beginning with the mintmark area, collectors can quickly scan the LIBERTY inscription for the northeast-oriented scratch, and only specimens displaying it warrant closer examination of the mintmark for southward displacement evidence. RPM-009 shares both its directional designation (D/D South) and obverse die variant (ODV-027) with RPM-004, RPM-008, and the upcoming RPM-010, underscoring how the southward direction dominates the upper range of the 1971-D RPM catalog — four of the final five numbered RPM entries carry D/D South classification, reflecting the statistical tendency of certain directional biases in hand-punching.

Die Markers

• UVC-3431
• DMR-012
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Die scratch Northeast through TY of LIBERTY – MDS
• Light die scratches North-South on lower Reverse – MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Eric Axtell
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References