1987P-1DER-007WS Trail Die Reverse

Description

Bearing the wide spread suffix that denotes a lateral hub shift rather than an angular tilt, 1987P-1DER-007WS on the 1987 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial cent is documented at Stage B in early-to-mid die state on both faces. Trail dies in the wide spread category result from the hub sliding sideways across the die surface during an incomplete or misaligned secondary hubbing, distributing the ghost impression evenly rather than concentrating it along a tilt axis. The EMDS (early-to-mid die state) classification on both sides indicates this die pair was examined relatively early in its production run, preserving trail features before heavy die deterioration could obscure or mimic them. On the obverse, two die dents near the first T in TRUST serve as the primary diagnostic — dents differ from gouges in that they represent inward deformation of the die surface rather than material removal, producing small depressed areas on the die that transfer as raised bumps on struck coins. The reverse carries two small die dots positioned over the O in ONE, providing a complementary confirmation point. Die dots — tiny raised points on the coin caused by pits in the die surface — are among the most common attribution markers, and their specific placement over a single letter narrows identification to this particular die. Struck at Philadelphia (no mint mark) on copper-plated zinc planchets (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper) at 2.5 grams and 19mm, from the 1987 mintage of 4,682,466,931 cents.

Die Markers

• Stage “B”, obverse is EMDS – two die dents by the first T in TRUST.
• Reverse is EMDS – two small die dots over the O in ONE.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Louis Schaeffer
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References