1994P-1DER-006WS Trail Die Reverse

Description

Documented across two die states, 1994P-1DER-006WS is a multi-stage trail die on the 1994 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial cent oriented at a 180-degree offset. Moderate step deviation appears under columns 5 through 8. At Stage C late die state, the obverse shows a die gouge next to the rim above the L of LIBERTY, while the reverse exhibits a bent die face between the T of CENT and the right base tip of the Memorial building — an unusual form of die distortion where the working surface itself has deformed under repeated striking pressure. The die continued into Stage D at very late die state (VLDS), where the obverse developed a die crack in Lincoln's head and the reverse retained the same markers observed at LDS. The progression from LDS to VLDS with an emerging head crack traces a classic late-life die trajectory: surface damage accumulates, structural integrity weakens, and fractures propagate through high-stress zones of the portrait. The 180-degree offset places the trail direction directly opposite the normal striking axis.

External References