So I picked up this Snow-2 (RPD-002) the other day and saw something I didn't expect. It has the markers of the documented RPD (black arrows), plus something else is visible--a raised arc of metal just W of the "8" (white arrow). Here's a closeup of the mark in question--it's no artifact of the camera or lighting. It's visible at many angles and clearly raised and reflective. Here's another shot under my scope @ 50X. Even at this resolution--a curved, tapered arc coming to a point is seen--very indicative of a partially polished away RPD: I just assumed the mark in the lower loop of the "8" is repunching of the same loop. However, if you look closely, you will see it's a larger radius than the inner loop. So what if it's the LR outer loop of the 8? Interestingly, both marks fit very well to an 8/8 overlay as shown. Fortunately, the coin is in a good enough grade to preserve some interesting detail:
Here’s one more overlay I think better explains what I’m seeing: 1. Shows how I’ve traced the approximate curves of the inside and outside lower loops of the 8. 2. When the inside loop is put over the 8/8, the curve looks a little too tight, and it doesn’t match that other mark (white arrow). 3. When the outside loop is put over the 8/8, it appears to fit the curve better, and the inside loop fits closely to that mark. If that mark is the remnant of an RPD, I would go with 3. as being the more likely position of this 8/8.
I think we got a conviction, it's #3. Another case solved through the science of forensic numismatics.