2001D-1DER-001WS Trail Die Reverse

Description

Struck at the Denver Mint, this 2001-D Lincoln Memorial Cent carries a trail die impression on the reverse — the result of a previously struck coin remaining partially in the coining chamber and transferring a faint ghost of its design onto the incoming planchet. The WS (wide spread) designation indicates the ghost impression covers a broad area rather than appearing as a localized anomaly. Documented in Stage B, the obverse is in mid die state with a small bar next to the G of GOD serving as a distinctive marker, while the reverse is also in mid die state with a die gouge between the N and E of ONE providing the primary reverse diagnostic. Trail die varieties on Lincoln Memorial Cents document the high-speed production environment at U.S. Mint facilities, where automated feeding systems occasionally experienced ejection failures that left struck coins in the chamber long enough to impress their design onto the next blank. The bar near GOD and the gouge between N and E create reliable die pair identification for this first-cataloged wide spread trail die reverse of the 2001 Denver production.

Die Markers

• Stage “B”, obverse is MDS – small bar next to the G in GOD.
• Reverse is MDS – die gouge between the N and E of ONE.

External References