This has me wondering why RPM-16 is not considered an OMM.
The secondary looks EXACTLY like the secondary on either OMM [from 1952]. Never noticed the stark similarities until now -- They resemble each other much more than I originally noticed.
This has me wondering why RPM-16 is not considered an OMM.
The secondary looks EXACTLY like the secondary on either OMM [from 1952]. Never noticed the stark similarities until now -- They resemble each other much more than I originally noticed.
That bit of info is intriguing!
FWIW- I agree the secondary MM is very similar to the "Tall Mintmark" images.
Hmmmm.... The only time in 1951 the "Tall Mintmark" was used, was on the Kennedy half dollar dies. (VV doesn't label their Kennedy half Mint Mark Style image MMS-001 as the "Tall Mintmark" for 1951 & 1952, but it appears to be.) All other denominations (1c, 5c, 10c, 25c) had both MM's for both years.
I made up this little chart for MM styles in 1951 & 1952, for all denominations, using the Variety Vista web site.
So they had both punches in 1951 but used the "Tall Mintmark" very little for some reason. Maybe testing on the 50c dies in 1951 to make sure it wouldn't fail? (Especially if the mint workers knew the "Trumpet Tail" was failing and needed to be replaced.)
These are just some of my random thoughts on how an "unused" MMS (from 1952) could have ended up on a Lincoln cent die from 1951.
Maybe you can reach out to Dr. Willes to get his thoughts.
This same issue came up one time with RPM-10 from 1953 and this pic of it is very similar. Unfortunately VV and CC don't have good, early pics of this rpm.
Edit: For anyone (such as myself) wondering how an OMM happens, it is because {as I remember it} all dies were done in Philadelphia, then shipped to their respective destinations.
Bookmarks