I have a 1953 D dime with the mint mark well outside the base of the torch. All stock photos clearly show the "D" within the knob. Is there a point at which this would be considered out of bounds or a punch error?
Until about 1990, the mintmarks were punched into the working die by hand. So, it is probable that you will find soma variance in the position. If you want to see some really wide variances, check out Kennedy half dollars from the 70's & 80's. Chris