2010P-1DEO-012T Trail Die Obverse

Description

Mark Britton discovered this unusually complex trail die obverse on a 2010 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Shield Cent, which exhibits dual trail sets at different angular offsets — a rare configuration among trail die varieties. One set of trails, visible from the ST in TRUST, is offset at 340 degrees, while a second apparent set seen from IBERT in LIBERTY is offset at 355 degrees. This dual-trail configuration suggests the die received secondary impressions from two distinct sources or at two different times, each leaving its own ghost image at a different angle. Die markers for Stage B (mid-die state) include a die gouge below the 1 in the date and a die crack across the hair on the obverse, while the reverse shows a die gouge west of the shield and near E PLURIBUS UNUM, also at mid-die state. Cataloged by Trail Dies as 2010P-1DEO-012T, this represents the twelfth trail die obverse documented for the 2010-P Shield Cent. Trail dies form when a die receives a faint impression from another die or hub element outside the normal production sequence, and finding two independent trail sets on a single die is exceptionally uncommon. The 2010-P cent, being the first year of Lyndall Bass's Shield reverse, attracted intense scrutiny from variety specialists, and this dual-trail discovery by Britton demonstrates the complexity possible within trail die phenomena.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Mark Britton
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References