2011P(USG)-100DER-002T Trail Die Reverse

Description

Recorded for the Position B orientation of the 2011-P Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Dollar, this 002T trail die reverse documents a ghost-image die variety from a working die that received an imperfect secondary hubbing. Position B refers to the alternative rotational alignment of the obverse and reverse dies relative to the edge lettering — a distinction that matters because Presidential Dollars carried their date, mintmark, E PLURIBUS UNUM, and IN GOD WE TRUST on the coin's edge, meaning the same obverse and reverse designs could be paired in two different orientational configurations. Don Everhart's Statue of Liberty reverse, standard across all Presidential Dollar issues from 2007 through 2016, serves as the canvas where the trail die's displaced secondary impression manifests as a faint shadow offset from the primary design elements. Grant's presidency (1869-1877) followed his leadership of Union forces in the Civil War, and his inclusion in the Presidential Dollar series placed him chronologically between Andrew Johnson and Rutherford B. Hayes. The trail die mechanism — an incomplete or slightly displaced hub impression during die manufacture — produces a consistent ghost image on every coin struck from the affected die, distinguishing it from random striking anomalies that vary from coin to coin. Philadelphia Mint's 2011 dollar production was significantly curtailed by the reality that vast quantities of previously minted dollar coins sat unused in Federal Reserve vaults, leading to a December 2011 decision to suspend production of Presidential Dollars for circulation. Collectors attributing this variety should use 15-20x magnification with low-angle fiber-optic lighting to isolate the displaced secondary image from the primary reverse design, checking that the offset direction and magnitude match documented examples for this specific die.