1993P-1DER-044WS Trail Die Reverse

Description

Deterioration concentrated along the Memorial roofline makes 1993P-1DER-044WS a study in how the cornice area accumulates damage over a die's working life. Moderate step deviation appears under columns 5, 6, 7, and 8 — the wavy-step signature earning the "WS" suffix. Classified at Stage C in late die state (LDS), this die had endured extensive use by the time these coins were struck. Reverse die markers confirm the identification: a die chip sits on the roof edge directly beneath the E of E PLURIBUS UNUM, and a die scratch runs through the U and R of PLURIBUS in a single linear stroke. The roof edge is one of the most structurally vulnerable areas of the reverse die because the engraved roofline forms a long, thin raised ridge on the die face — essentially a narrow wall of steel subjected to repeated compressive force. Chips along this ridge are a predictable failure mode as the die ages, and 044WS captures that progression cleanly. No notable obverse die markers were observed.

External References