2012P-1DEO-010T Trail Die Obverse

Description

Cataloged as 2012P-1DEO-010T by the Trail Dies reference project, this trail die obverse variety was discovered by Joe Koelling on a 2012 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Shield cent. The Lincoln Shield cent, introduced in 2010 with a reverse designed by Lyndall Bass featuring a union shield with a scroll bearing ONE CENT, is struck in copper-plated zinc weighing 2.5 grams with a 19 mm diameter. Trail dies are created when a working die inadvertently contacts another die, hub, or die-making component in a non-standard orientation during production or handling, transferring faint traces of design elements onto the die surface that then appear on every coin struck by that affected die. This specimen is documented at Stage B with the obverse at mid die state showing no specific markers noted beyond general mid-life characteristics. The reverse at mid die state displays a small die chip visible in the shield's edge above the U of PLURIBUS, a diagnostic marker that helps confirm the correct die pairing when attributing specimens. Trail die varieties on Lincoln Shield cents represent a continuation of the systematic cataloging work that the Trail Dies project has conducted across multiple denominations and design types since the project's inception. The shield reverse design, with its horizontal lines, vertical lines, and scroll detail, provides a different set of design elements compared to the earlier Memorial reverse where trail die impressions might manifest. Philadelphia produced approximately 3.1 billion cents in 2012, requiring vast numbers of die pairs and creating numerous opportunities for the incidental contact events between dies or between a die and production tooling that generate trail die varieties.

Die Markers

• Stage “B“, obverse is MDS – none noted
• Reverse is MDS – a small die chip is seen in the shield’s edge above the U of PLURIBUS.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Joe Koelling
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References