1983D RPM ?

[MorgansRmine]

Appears to be machine doubling. Would MD cause the slightly different angle of the upper mint mark ?

[wavysteps2003]

I believe that is isolated machine doubling that you are seeing and "yes", sometimes the bounce is at a different angle (however slight) than the design element affected.

BJ Neff

[jfines69]

BJ,
Correct me if I'm wrong because I'm no pro but I thought prior to 1990 the MM was struck with a punch!!!
Jim

[wavysteps2003]

Yes, all mint marks were applied by a punch before 1990. In that year, the mint mark was applied to the master die.

However, whether on a pre or post 1989, the mint mark can be affected by machine doubling.

BJ Neff

[jfines69]

Thanks BJ... I appreciate the reply!!!
Jim

[coppercoins]

An important lesson, especially when looking at Lincoln cents from this era.

Machine doubling can and will affect ANY part of a coin where there is a sharp difference in relief on the die. Since all mintmarks were punched intot he dies by hand on Lincolns until 1990, the exact angle of the punching can make a huge difference in whether the coin sticks to the die while being struck. All of the other design elements are carefully placed so that there is an angle - a bevel - so the coin falls off the die easily...but with the mintmark this careful placement does not exist, and a LOT of coins tend to show some level of machine doubling on the mintmark only for this reason. Also for the same reason, zinc Lincolns from 1982 through 1989 tend to show plating split issues around the mintmark. This is because the sharp (yet unintended) edge of a slightly tilted mintmark punching can cut through the plating when the coin is struck.

[Dottir]

I'm glad I read this thread. Very good information for me to be aware of when looking at these years. Thank you!

[CoinboyJay]

Chuck's explanation makes sense to me. I have looked at a LOT of "D" minted coins from this time period and have seen one side of the mint mark look "taller" than the other side, a result of a tilted punch.
A question I have always wondered...How many hits of a punch does it take to make a mint mark? Obviously more than one sometimes, or we have no RPM's, but what about when the ENTIRE mint mark is much higher than the rest of the devices on the obverse? Is this an RPM that did not happen because the "puncher" did not move the MM punch (after the first strike) to create an RPM, or just a really hard (single, or multiple) hit from the hammer driving it deeper in to the working die with no movement? Technically, would more than one hit to the punch make it an RPM???!?!? (repunched!!)
Probably no one knows, irrelevent , splitting hairs, and different for every coin, but might be fun to here educated responses.

JAY

[Dick]

Jay, this is only conjecture, but I believe you hit the nail on the head, referring to the "harder the punch is hit, the deeper it penetrates, thus making a higher relief, on the coin.

[eagames]

It also looks like when they punch it hard like that it makes a crater effect with raised metal around the mintmark. Since the raised metal is on the die it makes a low area on the coins so it looks like the mintmark is in a low spot.

Sort of looks that way on this coin, there's a low area around the D.

[coppercoins]

There's very likely no set standard as to how many times the punch was hit. I would think it would depend on who was doing it at when. Even the mood they were in might make a difference.