2010P-1DEO-004T Trail Die Obverse

Description

Discovered by Jean Lee and attributed by Trail Dies, this trail die obverse on a 2010 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Shield Cent documents die markers at Stage B. On the obverse in mid die state, a small die dot appears to the right of the E in LIBERTY. The reverse, also in mid die state, exhibits a die crack on top of the shield and another on the top left corner of the shield. A trail die forms when misalignment between the hub and die during the hubbing process produces a partial secondary impression that trails across the die surface, transferring faint displaced design elements onto every coin struck from that die. The 2010 Lincoln Shield Cent represents the first year of Lyndall Bass's Union Shield reverse, which replaced the four rotating bicentennial reverses of 2009 and established the permanent design still in production. Trail die varieties on this inaugural Shield Cent date carry added significance as first-year-of-type material. Struck on copper-plated zinc planchets at the Philadelphia Mint.

Die Markers

• Stage “B “, obverse is MDS – a small die dot is seen to the right of the E in LIBERTY
• Reverse is MDS – a die crack is seen on the top of the shield. Another die crack is seen on the top left corner of the shield.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jean Lee
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References