1987P-1DEO-002T Trail Die Obverse

Description

Described as a "nice example of that die type," 1987P-1DEO-002T on the 1987 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial cent features a 30-degree offset producing a classic trail from the top of the 7 digit along with typical distortion on the 8 digit, where two small trails project from the top of the numeral. Trail effects on date digits are among the most visually accessible trail die diagnostics because the digits' vertical strokes and terminals provide sharp reference edges against which any secondary ghost image registers clearly. The trail from the top of the 7 follows the 30-degree vector toward the upper right, while the two small trails from the top of the 8 document the same directional displacement on the adjacent digit — together confirming the hub shift direction with redundant evidence. Stage C at late die state carries a substantial diagnostic set: a die gouge under Lincoln's chin and a die scratch to the right of the bowtie mark the obverse, while a die gouge on the left side of the vertical bar of the T in CENT identifies the reverse die. The chin gouge and the bowtie scratch bracket the portrait's lower features, providing two spatially separated obverse landmarks that complement the date-area trail effects for comprehensive attribution. Struck at Philadelphia (no mint mark) on copper-plated zinc planchets (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper) at 2.5 grams and 19mm, from the 1987 mintage of 4,682,466,931 cents. Although there are no wide spread trail lines, this is still a nice example of that die type.

External References