1987-D Repunched Mintmark RPM-003

Description

Recognized by PCGS as FS-501, RPM-003 on the 1987-D Lincoln Memorial cent carries the highest-profile attribution of any repunched mint mark for this date, with the D displaced to the north (D/D North). The FS-501 (First Strike) designation from PCGS indicates this variety has been accepted into their official variety attribution program, providing collectors with a third-party grading path that recognizes the repunching on the holder label. Cataloged by VarietyVista as UVC-1015 and DMR-004, RPM-003 progresses through three die stages: Stage A at early die state, Stage B with both obverse and reverse at mid-die state, and Stage C at late die state. The northward displacement means the initial D punch was placed slightly too low relative to its intended position, requiring a corrective second punch that landed higher — the lower remnant of the first impression creates a visible doubling effect beneath the primary mint mark. Northward RPMs are among the easier displacements to detect because the secondary impression sits directly below the primary D, where it can be seen without requiring the viewer to search the less-examined lateral edges of the mint mark. The FS-501 listing makes RPM-003 the most commercially recognized of the thirteen 1987-D repunched mint marks. Struck at Denver on copper-plated zinc planchets (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper) at 2.5 grams and 19mm, from the 1987-D mintage of 4,007,632,740 cents.

Die Markers

• UVC-1015
• DMR-004
• Stage A:
• EDS (unconfirmed)
• Stage B:
• Obverse and Reverse are MDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Terry Campbell
• FS-501
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References