1964PR-1DEO-001T Trail Die Obverse

Description

Documenting a rare and visually distinctive proof die variety, the 1964PR-1DEO-001T is a Trail Die Obverse found on a 1964 proof Lincoln cent. Trail dies are characterized by fine parallel lines radiating from design elements, created during the hubbing process when metal flows under extreme pressure as the hub is pressed into the die blank. These trail lines — sometimes called flow lines or trail marks — are thin, evenly spaced striations that emanate outward from raised design features, recording the direction of metal displacement during die formation. What makes this specimen particularly unusual is its dual directional nature: trail lines radiate at both 170° and 350° from IBER of LIBERTY, indicating two distinct directions of metal flow during the hubbing process. The presence of dual directional trails challenges the assumption that trail marks are exclusively products of the single-squeeze hubbing system. While trail lines are normally associated with single-squeeze hubbing, the existence of this variety on a proof die — which may have been produced through a different process — suggests that the proof die manufacturing method shared certain characteristics with single-squeeze hubbing, possibly including higher pressures used to form the die from the hub. This die was discovered by Larry Nienaber of Arizona, whose contribution expanded the known population of proof trail die varieties. Attributed by Trail Dies as catalog number 1964PR-1DEO-001T. Struck from the 1964 proof mintage of 3,950,762 cents on a polished 3.11-gram, 19mm bronze planchet of 95% copper and 5% tin-zinc.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Larry Nienaber
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References