2012P-1DEO-022T Trail Die Obverse

Description

Cataloged at Stage B with the obverse in mid-die state, this twenty-second trail die obverse variety for the 2012 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Shield Cent documents a rare manufacturing artifact caused by incomplete die alignment during the striking process. Trail dies occur when there is a slight misalignment between the die and the planchet during feeding, or when the die makes partial contact at the edge of its travel, leaving a ghostly secondary impression of design elements offset from their intended position. The "T" suffix indicates this is a trail die variety, distinguished from other die varieties by the characteristic partial, shifted impression. The Lincoln Shield Cent series, introduced in 2010 with Lyndall Bass's Union Shield reverse, replaced the Lincoln Bicentennial designs of 2009 and has continued to the present day. Trail die varieties on Shield Cents are actively tracked by specialists at Trail Dies, the attribution service that maintains the systematic catalog for this error type. The Stage B designation indicates the die markers correspond to mid-die state conditions — the die is neither in its earliest freshly polished state nor showing the heavy deterioration of late die state, placing this specimen in the middle period of the die's production life.

Die Markers

• Stage “B“, obverse is MDS – none noted
• Reverse is MDS – the reverse die is

External References