1987 (D) Lincoln Memorial Cent - D-1DER-005T Trail Die Reverse

Description

On 1987D-1DER-005T the letters of the motto EPU look thickened and distorted along their tops and sides. True trail lines show elsewhere on the legend: on the T and E of UNITED, on the S and T at the start of STATES, and on the M, E and R of AMERICA. All point toward 060°, east-northeast. TrailDies' code means a 1987 Denver cent (1987D, 1), reverse design extension (DER), file 005, trails (T). The dies were midway through their working life (stage B). TrailDies notes no die markers on either side and uses the placement of the mint mark on the obverse to tell the pairing apart instead. Jeremy Gardner found the die. The cause most often given for trails is polishing of the die with a rotary tool, while some attribute them to the die moving against the hub.

External References