2009P(DC)-25DEO-004T Trail Die Obverse

Description

Found by Steve Bernatowicz, this 2009-P District of Columbia quarter carries ghostly transferred design elements on its obverse, earning the Trail Dies catalog designation 2009P(DC)-25DEO-004T. At Stage B, the obverse registers at mid-die-state with no notable attribution markers beyond the trail die imagery itself. Remarkably, the reverse die paired with this obverse is itself a doubled die, separately cataloged as WDDR-007, making this a dual-variety die marriage where both the trail die obverse and doubled die reverse coexist on the same coin. The DC & US Territories Quarters program of 2009 represented the final chapter of the extended state quarter concept, honoring the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories that had been excluded from the original 50 State Quarters series (1999-2008). The DC quarter design features Duke Ellington seated at a piano, a tribute to the legendary jazz musician born in Washington. Trail die varieties on quarters are less commonly reported than on cents because the larger planchet size and higher striking pressure can sometimes obscure the faint transferred impressions. The "25DEO" code indicates a quarter dollar error on the obverse, while "004T" marks this as the fourth trail die obverse documented for this specific issue. Collectors who locate this variety effectively acquire two cataloged errors on a single coin, since the WDDR-007 reverse doubles the numismatic significance of the discovery. Authentication requires confirming both the obverse trail die impressions and the reverse hub doubling independently.

Die Markers

• Stage "B", obverse is MDS – none noted.
• Reverse is MDS – WDDR-007.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Steve Bernatowicz
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References