1988P-1DER-005WS Trail Die Reverse

Description

Closing the trail die reverse catalog for the 1988 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial cent, 1988P-1DER-005WS was found by Louis Schaeffer of Maryland and documents a Wide Spread/Wavy Steps variety with a 190-degree offset — the same directional angle as 1DER-002WS and 1DER-004WST, a shared orientation suggesting these three dies were affected by the same hubbing setup condition at Philadelphia. Light fluting line extensions appear in the stylobate under columns 2 and 3, while moderate step deviation affects stairs under columns 5, 6, 7, and 8, creating visible waviness in lines that should run perfectly parallel. This specimen in Stage B at early-to-mid die state (EMDS) shows heavy die scratching across the entire obverse — an aggressive level of maintenance suggesting significant clash damage required remediation. The reverse at EMDS shows three heavy die scratches above the left roof of the Memorial and heavy scratching below, indicating both dies received extensive polishing. Despite this heavy surface work, the wavy step deviation — inherent to the die's hubbed design rather than a surface feature — persists through polishing, confirming that trail die characteristics cannot be removed by post-manufacture die maintenance. Struck at Philadelphia on copper-plated zinc planchets at 2.5 grams and 19mm.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Louis Schaeffer
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References