2010P-5DER-001T Trail Die Reverse

Description

Discovered by Tanaka Davis, this trail die reverse variety was identified on the 2010 Philadelphia Jefferson nickel from the Return to Monticello series. Trail dies are created when a previously struck coin is fed back into the coining press and struck by a different die pair, leaving a ghostly remnant of the first strike beneath the second impression. The reverse carries the trail image on this piece. Documented in Stage B, both sides are in mid-die state. The obverse MDS marker consists of die scratches above the LIB of LIBERTY, while the reverse MDS shows a die gouge above the E of E PLURIBUS UNUM. The 2010 Jefferson nickel marked the return to Felix Schlag's original Monticello reverse after the 2004-2005 Westward Journey commemorative reverses, making trail die varieties from this transitional period notable for documenting production characteristics during the design restoration. Trail die events on nickels are less commonly reported than on cents, likely because the lower production volumes reduce the statistical probability of feeding errors.

Die Markers

• Stage “B “, obverse is MDS – die scratches are seen above the LIB of LIBERTY.
• Reverse is MDS – a die gouge is seen above the E of EPU.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Tanaka Davis
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References