2010P-1DER-012T Trail Die Reverse

Description

Discovered by Aisha Shahid and cataloged by Trail Dies, the 2010P-1DER-012T is a trail die reverse variety found on the Philadelphia-minted Lincoln Shield Cent. The Lincoln Shield Cent was first introduced in 2010, replacing Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial reverse with Lyndall Bass's Union Shield design featuring thirteen vertical stripes and a horizontal bar inscribed E PLURIBUS UNUM, symbolizing the nation and the states united in support of the federal government. The cent is struck in copper-plated zinc at 2.50 grams and 19.05 mm diameter. Die markers for this variety document Stage B conditions: the obverse at Mid Die State shows a die crack in the hair of Lincoln under the word WE, tracing a stress fracture through the high-relief hair detail near the inscription. The reverse at MDS displays a die scratch to the left of the I in AMERICA. Trail die varieties from the inaugural year of the Shield Cent design are of particular interest to collectors because they document the earliest die behavior patterns for the new reverse design, which presented different stress characteristics than the Memorial reverse it replaced. The die crack through Lincoln's hair under WE and the reverse die scratch near AMERICA together provide the paired diagnostic markers necessary for authenticating this specific trail die variety.

Die Markers

• Stage “B“, obverse is MDS – a die crack is seen in the hair of Lincoln, under the word WE.
• Reverse is MDS – a die scratch is seen to the left of the I in AMERICA.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Aisha Shahid
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References