1987P-10DEO-001T Trail Die Obverse

Description

Documented by the Trail Dies catalog and discovered by Jean Lee, the 1987P-10DEO-001T is a trail die obverse variety found on a 1987 Philadelphia Mint Roosevelt Dime. Trail die varieties occur when a die receives an unintended secondary contact during manufacturing or installation, transferring a faint offset impression of the design onto the die face that appears as a ghost-like secondary image on every coin subsequently struck from that die. The die marker record for Stage "B" identifies the obverse at mid-die state with old die scratches visible behind Roosevelt\'s head — the "old" designation suggesting these scratches were present from early in the die\'s service life or inherited during die preparation. The reverse, also at mid-die state, displays a strong die scratch running from the lower branch of the oak cluster through the M of UNUM and into the E of DIME — a long diagonal mark traversing multiple design elements that serves as a definitive attribution feature. The Roosevelt Dime was designed by John R. Sinnock, whose JS initials appear on the obverse. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1987 in clad composition (75% copper, 25% nickel bonded to a pure copper core), the coin weighs 2.27 grams with a diameter of 17.9 mm. The strong reverse scratch connecting the oak cluster through UNUM into DIME provides one of the most diagnostically useful markers in this batch, as its length and trajectory across three distinct design zones make it virtually impossible to confuse with marks from another die. Jean Lee\'s discovery of this trail die contributes to the growing catalog of trail die varieties documented across Roosevelt Dime production dates.

Die Markers

• Stage “B“, obverse is MDS – old die scratches are seen behind Roosevelt’s head.
• Reverse is MDS – a strong die scratch is seen from the lower branch of the oak cluster, through the M of UNUM and into the E of DIME.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jean Lee
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References