1984P-1DEO-001T Trail Die Obverse

Description

Discovered by Louis Schaeffer and cataloged in the Trail Dies reference, 1984P-1DEO-001T is a Stage C trail die variety on the 1984 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial cent. Trail die varieties arise when freshly manufactured dies are stacked in storage or transport, allowing the raised design elements of one die to press into the face of an adjacent die, transferring a faint ghost impression that subsequently appears on struck coins as unexplained marks or incuse outlines unrelated to the coin's own design. At Stage C, both obverse and reverse dies have reached a late die state, exhibiting the accumulated wear and fatigue of extended production. The obverse diagnostic is die damage around the W of WE in the motto IN GOD WE TRUST, where the transferred impression or mechanical contact left marks inconsistent with normal die wear. On the reverse, a group of die gouges appears below the D of UNITED — clustered marks that distinguish this die pair from other 1984 trail die varieties. Philadelphia's massive 1984 cent production consumed thousands of die pairs, and the logistics of handling, storing, and transporting that many dies created ample opportunity for the face-to-face contact that produces trail die impressions. Struck on copper-plated zinc planchets at 2.5 grams.

Die Markers

• Stage “C”, obverse is LDS – die damage is seen around the W of WE.
• Reverse is LDS – a group of die gouges is seen below the D of UNITED.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Louis Schaeffer
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References