1996P-1DER-021WS Trail Die Reverse

Description

Cataloged by Trail Dies as 1996P-1DER-021WS, this Lincoln Memorial Cent trail die reverse exhibits residual design traces left on the reverse die from the previous die it was paired with or from a misaligned hubbing sequence. Trail die varieties occur when faint, ghost-like impressions of design elements appear in areas where they should not exist, resulting from incomplete die preparation or insufficient polishing between die uses. This particular die has been documented at Stage "C" — a late die state — with the obverse in LDS (Late Die State) showing no observed die markers, while the reverse is in MDS (Mid Die State) and displays several notable diagnostics: die dots within the O of ONE, and die gouges positioned to the left of the C and to the right of the A in AMERICA. These reverse die markers are essential for confirming attribution, as they distinguish this specific working die from others that may show similar trail line artifacts. The Lincoln Memorial Cent was designed by Victor David Brenner (obverse) and Frank Gasparro (reverse), struck in copper-plated zinc composition (97.5% zinc core with 2.5% copper plating) adopted in 1982, weighing 2.5 grams with a diameter of 19.05 mm. The 1996 Philadelphia issue saw substantial production, providing a large population from which trail die varieties could emerge. Trail die errors are a relatively specialized collecting niche, with attribution requiring careful examination of the faint secondary impressions under magnification and angled lighting to distinguish genuine trail lines from die polish marks or other surface anomalies.

Die Markers

• Stage “C”, obverse is LDS – none observed.
• Reverse is MDS – die dots in the O of ONE. Die gouges to the left of the C and to the right of the A in AMERICA.

External References