1964PR-1DER-001T Trail Die Reverse

Description

330° This is a very nice trails die that shows significant trails on MERI of AMERICA with an offset direction of 330 degrees. This is the first proof reverse trails die reported. This die was found by Bob Piazza of Florida.. Holding the distinction of being the first proof reverse trail die ever reported for the Lincoln cent series, 1964PR-1DER-001T is a landmark variety in the study of die manufacturing anomalies. Trail dies exhibit fine parallel lines radiating from design elements, created during the hubbing process when metal flows under extreme pressure as the hub is pressed into the die blank. On this reverse die, significant trail marks appear on MERI of AMERICA with an offset direction of 330°, indicating that metal flowed in a north-northwest direction from the letter elements during die formation. The strength of the trail marks on MERI — described as a "very nice trails die" — suggests that the hubbing conditions for this particular die produced unusually deep and well-defined flow lines that survived the subsequent die preparation and polishing steps. While proof trail die obverse varieties had been previously documented, this was the first confirmed instance of trail marks appearing on a proof reverse die, expanding the known scope of trail die formation to encompass both sides of proof die pairs. This die was discovered by Bob Piazza of Florida, whose finding opened a new chapter in trail die research by demonstrating that the hubbing conditions producing trail marks were not confined to the obverse die alone. Attributed by Trail Dies as catalog number 1964PR-1DER-001T. Struck from the 1964 proof mintage of 3,950,762 cents on dies serving approximately 3,000 impressions before retirement. Struck on a polished 3.11-gram, 19mm bronze planchet of 95% copper and 5% tin-zinc.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Bob Piazza
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References