2007P-1DEO-002T Trail Die Obverse

Description

Discovered by Robert Tingle, this trail die obverse on a 2007 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial Cent is cataloged as 2007P-1DEO-002T and documents faint trailing impressions from the die production process visible on the obverse of struck coins. Trail dies form when residual surface textures from prior manufacturing steps persist on the working die — artifacts such as incomplete polishing or lingering traces of earlier hub impressions — and transfer onto every coin produced from that die. Notably, this variety is documented in Stage A (early die state) rather than the more common mid-die state, meaning the trail die characteristics were present from the very beginning of the die's production run. The obverse shows a small die crack on Lincoln's forehead as a diagnostic marker, while no reverse markers have been observed in this early state. Attributed by Trail Dies, the variety appears on the second-to-last year of Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial reverse before its 2008 conclusion. The 2007 Philadelphia cent was struck in copper-plated zinc composition, and Robert Tingle's find expands the documentation of trail die phenomena in late Memorial-era cent production.

Die Markers

• Stage “A”, obverse is EDS – small die crack on Lincoln’s forehead.
• Reverse is EDS – none observed.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Robert Tingle
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References