2007P-1DEO-008T Trail Die Obverse

Description

Eighth obverse trail die cataloged on the 2007 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial Cent, designated 2007P-1DEO-008T by Trail Dies. A trail die forms when mechanical displacement shifts the die fractionally during striking, imprinting a faint ghost-like secondary image offset from the primary design — distinct from doubled dies, which originate during die manufacture. The 2007 issue came during the penultimate year of Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial reverse, which debuted in 1959 and would be replaced by the 2009 Bicentennial reverses. Gasparro's "FG" initials at the base of the Memorial become a diagnostic element on trail die specimens. The concentration of trail dies on late-date Memorial Cents reflects enormous Philadelphia production volumes, where high-speed presses occasionally allowed dies to shift on impact. Struck on copper-plated zinc at 19mm with Brenner's Lincoln portrait, in continuous use since 1909. Examine the obverse for a subtle secondary echo of Lincoln's portrait and inscriptions, displaced in the direction of die travel.

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