1991D-1DER-002WS Trail Die Reverse

Description

Found by Louis Schaffer, this Stage B trail die reverse from the 1991-D Lincoln Memorial cent documents a die in Mid Die State (MDS), indicating it had accumulated moderate use when this particular coin was struck. Trail die varieties represent sequential die pairings that can be arranged chronologically based on die state progression, and this Stage B specimen falls between the early and late production phases of the die's working life. The reverse die carries diagnostic gouges in bay 9 of the Memorial, along with a die dot positioned to the right of P in PLURIBUS — markers that confirm both the specific die and its approximate stage of use. These features allow attributors to place this variety within the broader trail die sequence for the 1991-D cent, tracking how the Denver Mint rotated and replaced dies throughout the production run. Struck at Denver 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 – die gouges are seen in bay 9. A small die dot is seen on the right of the P in PLURIBUS.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Louis Schaffer
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References