2012P-1DEO-021T Trail Die Obverse

Description

Dual trail lines distinguish this 2012 Philadelphia Lincoln Shield cent, with the first set of incised lines radiating from the E of WE at an offset direction of 080 degrees and the second set crossing the letters RUST of TRUST at an offset direction of 340 degrees. A solitary trail line on the left arm of the letter Y in LIBERTY adds a third diagnostic point to what is already an uncommonly complex trail die. Mark Britton discovered this die, and its attribution to a master trail die origin suggests the lines were transferred during an intermediate hubbing stage rather than generated on a single working die. In Stage B, both the obverse and reverse are classified as mid-die-state (MDS) with no additional die markers noted on either side, meaning the trail lines themselves serve as the primary diagnostic features for identification. Trail dies in the Lincoln Shield cent series from 2010 onward are cataloged less frequently than in the Memorial cent era, making dual-direction examples like 2012P-1DEO-021T especially noteworthy for variety specialists. The opposing offset angles — 080 degrees versus 340 degrees — indicate two separate displacement events during die preparation, each leaving its own family of parallel incised lines on the die face that transferred as raised lines on struck coins.

Die Markers

• Stage “B“, obverse is MDS – none noted.
• Reverse is MDS – none noted.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Mark Britton
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References