OK, there's probably a simple answer to this question, but I've never noticed such a variation in the placement of the mintmark on a US coin. My son and I spent the weekend filling Whitman folders for his collection when I noticed the two 1973-D Lincolns. Is this common? Thanks, Bill
Yup. These mint marks were punched by hand into the dies and the placement is not always exactly in the same spot. This has produced some very collectable errors in the past, most notably the repunched mintmark, where a second punch was not aligned with the first punch and the mint mark letter is actually doubled. Some were even punched sideways, some were first one letter, then overpunched with another. Placement of the mint mark is considered normal as long as it doesn't touch any of the other lettering or devices. A lot of the old silver war nickels (1942 - 1945) show doubling of the mint marks. I think this procedure was changed around 1982, when the mintmarks were placed on the hubs that make the dies. Attached is a mintmark from a 1955S Dime where the mint mark is very close to the fasces. Another shows a repunched mint mark on a 1960 D cent.
