1996D-25DEO-002T Trail Die Obverse

Description

Cataloged by the Trail Dies attribution service, this 1996-D Washington Quarter obverse trail die variety documents a linear drag mark created during the die manufacturing process. Trail die impressions arise when a working die or hub shifts under partial contact pressure, leaving a fine raised line on the die surface that is then reproduced on every coin struck from that die. The die markers for this variety are documented across multiple die stages: Stage "C" identifies the specific progression state, with the obverse recorded as ELDS (Early Late Die State) — the O in GOD carries a die chip, and machine doubling is present on the IN GOD WE TRUST inscription (IGWT). The reverse is also classified as ELDS. Machine doubling on IGWT should not be confused with hub doubling: machine doubling (also called mechanical doubling or strike doubling) occurs during the striking process when the die shifts relative to the planchet after initial contact, producing a flat, shelf-like secondary image that lacks the rounded, fully formed profile of a true doubled die. The coexistence of a trail die impression and machine doubling on the same coin creates a dual-anomaly specimen with both die-manufacturing and striking-process artifacts. John Flanagan's Washington Quarter obverse, in continuous use since 1932, positions the left-facing portrait of George Washington with IN GOD WE TRUST below and LIBERTY above — the same elements affected by the noted machine doubling. The 1996-D was struck in copper-nickel clad at 5.67 grams on a 24.26mm planchet, with Denver producing hundreds of millions of quarters that year. The Stage C die state documentation suggests this die saw extended service before the trail line and other anomalies became part of the struck-coin record.

Die Markers

• Stage “C “, obverse is ELDS – the O in GOD has a die chip. Note the machine doubling on IGWT.
• Reverse is ELDS –

External References