PART II. Die Varieties:

Dual Mintmark

Definition: This is a rare type of die variety in which two different, non-overlapping mintmarks are punched into the same working die.  One of the mintmarks is correct while the other is incorrect.  The incorrect mintmark is usually quite faint, either from having been weakly punched in or from having been abraded prior to the introduction of the proper mintmark

A related die variety is the overmintmark. Over mintmarks involves two different overlapping mintmarks. These are discussed in another entry.

This 1956-D Lincoln cent shows a possible S-mintmark above and to the left of the D-mintmark. There is considerable disagreement as to whether this is an actual S-mintmark or merely a simulacrum.  This die was produced a year after the San Francisco Mint stopped producing coins for general circulation. This is also considered a misplaced mintmark since it’s far from its normal location.

A second alleged dual mintmark variety has been reported for 1956-D cents.  In that specimen, a raised S-shaped feature appears just to the right of the normal D-mintmark.  Since most of the purported S-mintmark only appears in later die states, it’s possible that it’s merely an odd pattern of die flow lines.

This 1980-D cent displays what was once considered to be the lower curve of an S-mintmark above the normal D-mintmark.  Early die state specimens were eventually discovered that showed that the presumed letter trace was nothing more than a die dent.  Subsequent die wear smoothed out the original roughness, leaving a deceptive curve.

Both photographs are courtesy of Coppercoins.