2012P-1DEO-016T Trail Die Obverse

Description

Trail die varieties arise when one die inadvertently contacts another die rather than a planchet, transferring a ghost impression of design elements to an unintended location. Cataloged as 2012P-1DEO-016T and discovered by Mark Britton, this 2012 Philadelphia Lincoln Shield cent carries such transferred impressions on its obverse from contact with another die during the manufacturing process. The documented example is in Stage C, placing the obverse in late die state with a die crack running from Lincoln's hair down through his forehead to his brow. The reverse is also in late die state, showing a die crack with die chips on the upper left edge of the shield above URI of PLURIBUS, plus a die chip on the upper right edge of the shield above the letter S of PLURIBUS. Trail die markers differ from die clashes because they involve contact between two dies of the same denomination rather than between paired obverse and reverse dies. The Lincoln Shield cent's geometric reverse design, introduced in 2010, features crisp horizontal and vertical rules where cracks propagate in predictable patterns, and the URI/PLURIBUS area is a common crack zone.

Die Markers

• Stage “C“, obverse is LDS – a die crack is seen from Lincoln’s hair done through his forehead, to his brow.Reverse is LDS – a die crack with die chips is seen on the upper left edge of the shield above URI of PLURIBUS. A die chip is seen on the upper right edge of the shield above the letter S of PLURIBUS.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Mark Britton
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References