1988 (D) Lincoln Memorial Cent - Transitional Reverse Design WTRD-012

Description

The progression from WTRD-001 through WTRD-013 reflects the order of discovery and documentation rather than the chronological order of die manufacture or use — earlier catalog numbers generally correspond to varieties identified when the transitional reverse phenomenon was first recognized, while higher numbers represent specimens found through subsequent systematic searching. Each new variety required the examiner to demonstrate that the specimen's die markers did not match any previously cataloged WTRD die, a process that grows more demanding as the catalog expands. With twelve entries already documented before WTRD-012, the attributor had to compare the candidate against each existing die's marker profile to confirm uniqueness. This cumulative burden makes late-sequence attributions inherently more rigorous than early ones, as the probability of a match with an existing entry increases with each addition to the catalog. Struck at the Denver Mint on copper-plated zinc planchets composed of 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper, weighing 2.5 grams and measuring 19mm in diameter.

Cross References

• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1988-D 1¢ WTRD-012

External References