2011P-1DEO-012T Trail Die Obverse

Description

Documented in the Trail Dies catalog and discovered by James Mitchell, the 2011P-1DEO-012T is a trail die obverse variety found on the 2011 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Shield Cent. Trail dies form when a secondary design impression appears faintly offset from the primary during the die manufacturing or setup process, creating a ghostly doubled image that is distinct from hub doubling in its origin mechanism. Die marker documentation identifies this as Stage "B" at mid-die-state (MDS), with two die cracks visible in Lincoln's head on the obverse and a die crack with an associated die chip forming along the left top edge of the shield on the reverse. The dual die cracks in Lincoln's head represent progressive structural failure of the obverse die in a high-stress area where the deep relief of the portrait concentrates striking forces, while the crack-with-chip formation on the shield edge documents a similar deterioration process on the reverse die — together indicating both dies in this pair were experiencing concurrent failure during their production service. The Lincoln Shield Cent was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in copper-plated zinc (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper) weighing 2.5 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter. The Shield reverse, designed by Lyndall Bass, features a Union shield with a scroll bearing ONE CENT across the top, surrounded by thirteen vertical stripes representing the original colonies. Victor David Brenner's obverse portrait has been in continuous use since 1909. James Mitchell's discovery of this trail die variety contributes to the systematic documentation of trail die events across the Lincoln Shield Cent series, and the Stage B mid-die-state documentation provides collectors with a reference point for the expected die condition when examining potential specimens.

Die Markers

• Stage “B“, obverse is MDS – two die cracks are seen in Lincoln’s head.
• Reverse is MDS – a die crack with a die chip, has formed along the left top edge of the shield.

Attribution History

• Discovered by James Mitchell
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References