1990P-1DEO-001T Trail Die Obverse

Description

The first of two obverse trail die varieties cataloged for the 1990 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial cent, 1990P-1DEO-001T documents contact impressions left by the reverse die onto the obverse die face during a misaligned die-set event. Examined at Stage B mid-die state (MDS), diagnostic die markers include gouges to the left of the first S in STATES and strong die scratches visible between NITED and the Lincoln Memorial design. Trail die varieties on the obverse are less commonly reported than their reverse counterparts because the obverse die typically serves as the hammer die, making contact-transfer geometry less favorable for capturing reverse design impressions. This variety was identified and reported by Aisha Shahid, contributing to the growing catalog of trail die varieties documented on 1990 Philadelphia cents. The die gouges near STATES and scratches near NITED serve as critical attribution markers, distinguishing this die pair from 1DEO-002T and confirming the specific die involved in the trail die event. Struck at Philadelphia on copper-plated zinc planchets composed of 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper, weighing 2.5 grams and measuring 19mm.

Die Markers

• Stage “B“, obverse is MDS – none noted
• Reverse is MDS – two small die gouges are seen just to the left of the first S in STATES. Strong die scratches are seen between the NITED of UNITED and the left side of the Memorial building.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Aisha Shahid
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References