1973-S Lincoln Cent Mintmark Question

@gsp, it does look like there is a little something going on there, but I don't think it is a RPM. Here is a link to the varietyvista page on the '73-S cents:

http://www.varietyvista.com/02b%20L...%201973S.htm

Maybe a bit of minor die chipping? I'm interested to hear what others think.

What you are seeing in the lower loop is call mintmark punch damage. Often you can see the same thing on other denominations those years. But it is not a RPM and will never be listed as part of the RPM. The direction of the RPM will could be entirely different or same, but never part of the RPM.

Different years have different issues:

Note the different denominations with the same distorted mintmark punch?

1979-D also had an issue with a damaged mintmark punch.



The RPMs were in a different direction that year:

1970-S:

The lower loop is showing mintmark punch damage and the direction on the RPM is NE. But the spread was enlarged by the damaged mintmark punch on that area. Just have to remember about the 1982 and 1979 issues with the mintmark punch damage.

When they added the mintmarks to these dies, they were punching a hardened die, with a hardened with a big hammer. The punch suffers more on each strike. Thus they damage to the punch.