2013P-1DEO-003T Trail Die Obverse

Description

Found by Joe Koelling, the 2013P-1DEO-003T is a trail die obverse variety on the 2013 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Shield Cent. Trail die obverse varieties occur when residual impressions from a previously retired die transfer to a new obverse working die, producing faint ghost design elements on Lincoln's portrait side. This variety is documented at Stage B in Mid Die State. The obverse shows no significant supplementary markers beyond the trail die evidence itself, while the reverse exhibits a die crack along the upper left edge of the Union Shield — a secondary die failure that provides an independent confirmation point for attribution. The Lincoln Shield Cent design, introduced in 2010, features a prominent shield motif whose sharp relief transitions create natural stress concentration points where die cracks commonly develop. The combination of a trail die obverse with a reverse die crack on the shield edge gives collectors two distinct diagnostic features when evaluating this variety. Joe Koelling's discovery adds to the growing catalog of trail die varieties documented on modern Lincoln cents.

Die Markers

• Stage “B“, obverse is MDS – none noted
• Reverse is MDS – a die crack is seen on the shields upper left edge.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Joe Koelling
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References