1987P-1DER-009T Trail Die Reverse

Description

Among the most comprehensively documented trail dies in the entire 1987 Philadelphia census, 1987P-1DER-009T was discovered by Louis Schaeffer of Maryland and presents trail effects at a 000-degree (due north) offset. Trails are visible on E of UNITED, the left corner of the cornice, TATES of STATES, OF, and ME of AMERICA, with some effects also reaching the EPU letters — an unusually wide scatter of affected design elements that maps the hub's northward travel path across nearly the entire upper arc of the reverse. This variety is recorded in LDS (late die state), giving the die a mushy, softened appearance; an earlier state may reveal more sharply defined trail lines before die wear blurred their edges. The die progresses through multiple documented stages. Stage C at LDS shows die dots under 9, between 8 and 7, and over the 8 of the date on the obverse, while the reverse carries two die dots between column 12 and the last A in AMERICA. Stage D advances to VLDS with horizontal die scratching developing across the obverse and vertical die scratching becoming prominent on the reverse, especially visible in bays 1, 2, and 3 of the Memorial facade. This multi-stage documentation traces the progressive deterioration of a single die pair, capturing the accumulation of surface damage from Stage C through Stage D — a record that illustrates how trail die characteristics interact with advancing die wear. 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.

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