2005P(CA)-25DEO-001T Trail Die Obverse

Description

Documented in the Trail Dies catalog and discovered by Bill Taschwer of Ohio, the 2005P(CA)-25DEO-001T is a trail die obverse variety found on the 2005 Philadelphia Mint California State Quarter. Trail die varieties occur when a die receives an unintended secondary contact during manufacturing or installation, producing a faint offset ghost impression of the design beneath or alongside the primary strike — and on the obverse of a State Quarter, this means Washington's portrait and surrounding inscriptions carry a shifted secondary image. Die marker documentation identifies Stage "B" at mid-die-state (MDS) with no noted obverse markers, while the reverse at MDS shows a small die gouge under the 1 and 8 of the 1850 date inscribed on the California reverse design and another small die gouge under the last A of CALIFORNIA. The reverse die gouges positioned near the 1850 date — representing the year California achieved statehood — provide precise attribution markers against the state-specific reverse design elements. The California State Quarter reverse, designed by Don Everhart, depicts naturalist and conservationist John Muir admiring Yosemite's Half Dome with a California condor soaring overhead, along with the inscription "John Muir" and "Yosemite Valley." Struck at the Philadelphia Mint in copper-nickel clad composition (8.33% nickel, 91.67% copper) weighing 5.67 grams with a 24.3 mm diameter, the California quarter was the 31st issue in the 50 State Quarters Program. Trail die varieties on State Quarters combine the appeal of the state-specific designs with the specialized interest in die manufacturing anomalies, and Bill Taschwer's discovery of this California obverse trail die adds to the systematic documentation of these varieties across the entire State Quarter series.

Die Markers

• Stage "B" obverse is MDS – none noted.
• Reverse is MDS – small die gouge under the 1 and 8 of the 1850 date. Another small die gouge is seen under the last A of CALIFORNIA.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Bill Taschwer of Ohio
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References