2012P-5DER-009WST Trail Die Reverse

Description

Discovered by George dePozsgay, this trail die reverse variety on the 2012 Philadelphia-mint Jefferson nickel documents an ejection failure that left a secondary reverse impression on subsequently struck pieces. Within the Trail Dies cataloging system, the WST suffix indicates the specific trail die classification, and the die markers record this as a Stage A variety — early-to-mid die state (EMDS) on both obverse and reverse, with no additional scratches, gouges, or cracks observed on either surface. The early die state classification suggests this trail die event occurred relatively early in the working die's production life, before accumulated striking had generated the flow lines, wear patterns, and stress fractures that characterize later die states. The Jefferson nickel's Monticello reverse, featuring Thomas Jefferson's mountaintop estate with its distinctive dome and columns, provides geometric reference elements against which any trail die displacement can be measured with precision. Philadelphia struck 645,880,000 nickels in 2012, ensuring a substantial population from which this variety can potentially be located. George dePozsgay's identification contributed to the ongoing expansion of the Trail Dies catalog, which by the 2010s had grown to encompass hundreds of documented trail die varieties across all circulating denominations. For collectors, the EMDS die state and clean die surfaces make this an early-stage specimen worth preserving when found, as it represents the trail die impression in its sharpest possible form before die wear began softening the ghost-like secondary design transfer.

Die Markers

• Stage “A“, obverse is EMDS – none noted
• Reverse is EMDS – none noted

Attribution History

• Discovered by George dePozsgay
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References