1995D-1DER-012WS Trail Die Reverse

Description

Discovered by Michael Pope and documented in the Trail Dies catalog, the 1995D-1DER-012WS is a trail die reverse variety on the 1995 Denver Mint Lincoln Memorial Cent. The trail die effect manifests as step deviation visible under columns 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the Lincoln Memorial building, with an offset direction of 190 degrees — placing the secondary impression slightly south-southwest of the primary design, creating a subtle ghost-like repetition of the Memorial's stepped base in that directional zone. Trail dies occur when a die receives an unintended secondary design impression during manufacturing, setup, or adjustment procedures, producing a faint offset image distinct from hub doubling in both mechanism and visual character. Die marker documentation identifies Stage B at mid-die-state (MDS) with no noted obverse markers and a die gouge visible in the bottom of bay 9 on the reverse — bay 9 referring to the ninth architectural opening in the Memorial colonnade, using the standardized bay numbering system employed by Memorial cent variety specialists. The Lincoln Memorial Cent in 1995 was struck in copper-plated zinc composition (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper) weighing 2.50 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter. Frank Gasparro's Memorial reverse, with its detailed architectural rendering of columns, bays, steps, and the seated Lincoln statue, provides numerous reference points for precisely describing the location and extent of trail die impressions. Victor David Brenner's obverse Lincoln portrait was in its eighty-sixth year of continuous use. The 190-degree offset direction and the specific columns affected (5 through 8) serve as the primary diagnostic features for identifying this trail die variety among the Lincoln Memorial cent population.

Die Markers

• Stage “B”, obverse is MDS – none noted
• Reverse is MDS – a die gouge is seen in the bottom of bay 9.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Michael Pope
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References