2011P-1DEO-016T Trail Die Obverse

Description

Discovered by Albert Neils and documented in the Trail Dies catalog, the 2011P-1DEO-016T is a trail die obverse variety found on the 2011 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Shield Cent. Trail dies represent a specialized category of die variety where a faint secondary impression of the coin's design appears offset from the primary strike, produced when a die receives an unintended secondary contact during the die manufacturing, installation, or setup process — distinct from doubled dies which originate during hub-to-die transfer. The die marker documentation records Stage "B" at mid-die-state (MDS) with a small die crack visible in Lincoln's forehead and the beginning of another die crack in the top of Lincoln's head below the E of WE on the obverse. The reverse at MDS shows no noted markers. These forehead cracks represent early structural failure in a high-relief area of the obverse die where the deep recesses needed to produce Lincoln's portrait create stress concentration points susceptible to fracturing under repeated multi-ton striking loads. The Lincoln Shield Cent, introduced in 2010, features Lyndall Bass's Union shield reverse design with thirteen vertical stripes beneath a scroll inscribed ONE CENT — replacing Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial reverse that had served since 1959. Victor David Brenner's iconic obverse portrait of Abraham Lincoln has remained in continuous use since the coin's 1909 debut, making it the longest-running design in American coinage history. Struck in copper-plated zinc composition (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper) weighing 2.5 grams with a 19.05 mm diameter, the 2011-P Shield Cent was produced at the Philadelphia Mint in substantial quantities. Trail die varieties are collected as a distinct specialty, with the Trail Dies reference cataloging these systematically across denominations, dates, and mint facilities.

Die Markers

• Stage “B“, obverse is MDS – a small die crack is seen in Lincoln’s forehead. The beginning of another die crack is seen in the top of Lincoln’s head below the E of WE.
• Reverse is MDS – none noted.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Albert Neils
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References