1987P-1DER-014WS Trail Die Reverse

Description

Found by Louis Schaeffer, 1987P-1DER-014WS on the 1987 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial cent presents an unusual die state split: the obverse is classified at LDS (late die state) while the reverse sits at EDS (early die state), a pairing that indicates this reverse die entered service as a replacement for an earlier reverse that had been retired while the original obverse die continued in production. Stage A classification marks the earliest documented state of this die pair's combined service. On the obverse, very heavy die scratching is visible through LIBERTY — a prominent surface feature consistent with the late die state designation and providing an immediate attribution landmark. The reverse, in sharp contrast, shows only two small die dots below the left vertical of the T in CENT — a minimal marker set consistent with a die that has barely begun its production run. This obverse-late, reverse-early combination offers collectors a window into Mint die management practices: rather than retiring both dies in a pair simultaneously, the facility would replace whichever die failed first, creating mixed-state pairings that trail die researchers use to track individual die histories. Wide spread trail effects on the reverse, originating during the die-sinking process, are superimposed on the fresh reverse surface where they should be visible with unusual clarity given the absence of production 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.

Die Markers

• Stage “A “, obverse is LDS – very heavy die scratching is seen through LIBERTY.
• Reverse is EDS – two small die dots are seen below the left vertical of the T in CENT.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Louis Schaeffer
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References