2010P-1DEO-014T Trail Die Obverse

Description

Discovered by Mark Britton and cataloged by Trail Dies, this fourteenth obverse trail die for the 2010 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Shield Cent presents a rare dual-trail phenomenon: one set of trails visible from ST in TRUST offset at 115 degrees, and a separate apparent set from the 01 in the date offset at 350 degrees. Dual trails indicate that the hub underwent at least three impressions during die manufacture, with two distinct shifts creating two separate sets of displaced design elements in different directions. The divergent offset angles — 115 degrees for the TRUST trails and 350 degrees for the date trails — suggest either two separate hubbing shifts or a complex combination of rotation and translation between hub impressions. This makes 2010P-1DEO-014T more complex than typical single-direction trail die varieties. Die markers at Stage B include a mid-die state obverse with no specific markers identified and a mid-die state reverse exhibiting strong east-west scratches through UNITED — a reverse die marker that provides reliable attribution even without examining the trail die characteristics. The 2010 cent holds the distinction of inaugurating the Union Shield reverse design by Lyndall Bass, making trail die varieties from this date historically noteworthy as they document the die manufacturing processes for the first year of a new design. Obverse trail dies on Lincoln Cents affect Victor David Brenner's portrait and the surrounding text, and the dual-trail nature of this variety creates a particularly complex visual presentation under magnification where collectors must distinguish two separate displacement vectors within the obverse design.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Mark Britton
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References