1988P-1DEO-003T Trail Die Obverse

Description

Identified by Jean Lee, 1988P-1DEO-003T records a trail die obverse on the 1988 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial cent, where incomplete or misaligned hubbing left faint trailing impressions on the obverse die face. Trail die formation occurs entirely in the die shop: when the reduction lathe-produced hub is pressed into the working die blank to transfer the coin's design, any lateral drift, rotational shift, or tilt during this critical contact creates ghost traces of design elements displaced from their proper positions. Every coin subsequently struck from the affected die carries identical trail impressions, making trail dies a class of die variety rather than a random striking anomaly. This specimen is documented in Stage A (early die state), with die scratches between the 9 and 8 of the date providing an obverse attribution marker. The reverse in early die state shows no significant markers. The early die state documentation is valuable because it captures the die's condition closest to its manufactured state, before polishing, clashing, or wear obscure original features. Jean Lee's discovery contributes to a substantial body of 1988-P trail die varieties — ten obverses cataloged in total — reflecting the active searching community that systematically examined Philadelphia cent production from this year. Struck on copper-plated zinc planchets at 2.5 grams and 19mm.

Die Markers

• Stage “A”, obverse is EDS – die scratches are seen between the 9 and 8 of the date.
• Reverse is EDS – none noted.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jean Lee
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References