2001D-1DEO-002T Trail Die Obverse

Description

Cataloged by Trail Dies as 2001D-1DEO-002T, this trail die obverse variety appears on a 2001-D Lincoln Memorial cent struck at the Denver Mint. The Lincoln Memorial cent was produced in copper-plated zinc composition weighing 2.5 grams with a 19 mm diameter and a plain edge. Denver struck billions of cents in 2001, utilizing large numbers of working dies that each underwent the hubbing process where trail die characteristics could develop. Trail dies occur when the hub makes irregular contact with the die during manufacture, leaving directional marks that trail away from design elements in patterns distinct from conventional doubled die mechanisms. This variety was found by Jeremy Gardner, whose examination of the die revealed trail characteristics on the obverse. Die markers for Stage A document the obverse in late die state, with multiple small die gouges above the VDB designer's initials and multiple small die gouges in and around the date. The concentration of die gouges near the VDB initials and date area indicates this portion of the die surface experienced considerable wear or contact damage during its production life. The reverse is recorded as early die state with no markers noted, suggesting the reverse die was newer or less worn than its obverse counterpart at the time of their pairing. The contrast between the late die state obverse and early die state reverse provides useful information about die pairing practices at the Denver Mint, where obverse and reverse dies were not necessarily paired based on matching wear levels. The 2001-D date represents a period of massive cent production when the Denver facility was operating at high capacity, and the identification of trail die varieties from this era contributes to the broader understanding of how the die-making process produced these distinctive directional markings on working dies.

Die Markers

• Stage “A”, obverse is LDS- multiple small die gouges above the VDB. Multiple small die gouges in and around the date.
• Reverse is EDS – none noted.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jeremy Gardner
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References