2012P-1DEO-009T Trail Die Obverse

Description

Discovered by Joe Koelling, this ninth trail die obverse for the 2012 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Shield Cent shows trail lines from the ST of TRUST at an offset direction of 330 degrees, with a single trail line from the left arm of the Y in LIBERTY that is more than likely a master die trail line — suggesting the trail was imparted at the master die level rather than the working die level. If confirmed, a master die trail line would appear on every working die produced from that master, potentially explaining similar trail features across multiple die pairs. The T suffix designates trail-lines-only classification. At mid-die state, the obverse shows no additional markers, while the reverse carries a die chip in the shield's edge above the P of PLURIBUS and another die chip above the S of PLURIBUS. The dual shield-edge chips provide reliable secondary markers for confirming this specific die pair. Trail die varieties on early Lincoln Shield Cents are actively cataloged by specialists building the foundation for this series, and Joe Koelling's identification of a potential master die trail line adds an important dimension to the research.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Joe Koelling
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References