2010P-1DEO-010T Trail Die Obverse

Description

Documented by the Trail Dies catalog and discovered by Lynn Morace, the 2010P-1DEO-010T is a trail die obverse variety on the 2010 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Shield Cent — the inaugural year of the Shield reverse design. Trail lines are visible extending from the bottom of the date digits 2010 with an offset direction of 200 degrees, indicating the secondary impression was displaced to the south-southwest relative to the primary design. Notably, this obverse die is paired with the reverse die cataloged as 1DER-011T, which exhibits its own trail lines from MERI in AMERICA and slightly from the middle bar of the F in OF, offset at 120 degrees — making this a dual trail die pair where both dies independently show trail impressions in different offset directions, a relatively uncommon occurrence. Die marker documentation identifies Stage "A" in early die state (EDS), with very light abrasion marks in front of Lincoln's mouth on the obverse and a small group of gouges near the designer's initials LB (Lyndall Bass) on the reverse. The Lincoln Shield Cent introduced in 2010 features the Union Shield reverse designed by Lyndall Bass, replacing the Lincoln Memorial and Bicentennial designs. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint in copper-plated zinc composition (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper) weighing 2.50 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter, this coin represents the very first year of Shield Cent production when die manufacturing processes were being calibrated for the new design's specific relief and geometry. The dual trail die pairing — with obverse trails at 200 degrees and reverse trails at 120 degrees — provides collectors with a particularly interesting variety where both sides of the coin display trail die evidence from independent die preparation events.

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