1987P-1DEO-006T Trail Die Obverse

Description

Found by Jean Lee, 1987P-1DEO-006T on the 1987 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial cent is one of only two trail die obverses in the 1987-P census documented at Stage A in early die state — a classification that captures the die before significant wear has accumulated, preserving the trail die effects in their most pristine form. Early die state trail die captures are particularly valuable because the trail-induced distortion has not yet been compounded by the flow lines, surface roughening, and dimensional changes that characterize mid and late die state deterioration. On an early die state specimen, any secondary imaging or directional distortion observed on the coin can be attributed with confidence to the original hubbing anomaly rather than to post-production die wear. The obverse die marker for this variety is a die gouge at the bottom left of the O in GOD, positioning the diagnostic within the IN GOD WE TRUST motto in a location that is both specific enough for reliable identification and prominent enough to survive the early stages of die wear without being obscured. The reverse carries a die scratch under the N of UNITED, offering a secondary confirmation marker on the opposite face. Jean Lee's discovery adds to the roster of named attributors who have contributed trail die finds to the 1987 Philadelphia census. 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.

Die Markers

• Stage “A”, obverse is EDS – a small die gouge is seen to the bottom left of the O in GOD.
• Reverse is EDS – a small die scratch is seen just under the N of UNITED.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jean Lee
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References