1996P-1DER-044T Trail Die Reverse

Description

Discovered by Will Brooks, the 1996P-1DER-044T is a trail die reverse variety on the Lincoln Memorial cent, showing incuse trail lines transferred from contact between die faces during press setup or die installation. Trail dies are a specialized error category distinct from die clashes, as they result from the rotating motion of one die against another rather than a straight impact. The documented specimen is at Stage B, with the obverse at mid-die state showing numerous gouges around IN and several gouges around the date, plus a small gouge inside the ear. The reverse is also at mid-die state, featuring deep die scrapes from the feeder finger mechanism in the northwest quadrant extending into the memorial design. The cataloger notes similarity to varieties 028T and 032T, suggesting these trail dies may share characteristics from related press incidents or similar mechanical conditions. Trail die varieties on Lincoln Memorial cents gained increasing recognition through the late 1990s as collectors and researchers began systematically documenting these distinctive linear impressions that differ from conventional die clash transfers.

Die Markers

• (Black arrows)
• Stage “B“, obverse is MDS – numerous gouges around IN; several gouges around the date. Small gouge inside ear.
• Reverse is MDS – at this stage, there are deep die scrapes from the feeder finger in the NW quadrant into the memorial. It’s possible earlier or later stages do not have the scrapes. This die is similar to 028T & 032T.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Will Brooks
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References