2013P-5DER-004T Trail Die Reverse

Description

Found by Ron Traino and cataloged by Trail Dies, 2013P-5DER-004T documents a trail die variety on the reverse of a 2013 Philadelphia Mint Jefferson Nickel featuring the return-to-Monticello design that was adopted in 2006 following the two-year Westward Journey commemorative program. Trail die varieties arise from a specific phenomenon during die production: as the working hub sinks into the die blank through multiple hubbing impressions, slight shifts between impressions create faint directional streaks — "trail lines" — that follow the contours of design elements rather than duplicating them as doubled dies would. On the Jefferson Nickel reverse, Jamie Franki's revised Monticello rendering provides architectural detail including windows, columns, and the distinctive dome that serve as host features for trail line manifestation. The "5DER" prefix identifies this as a five-cent denomination reverse entry, and the "004T" sequence number marks it as the fourth cataloged trail die reverse for the 2013-P date. Traino's discovery adds to the growing catalog of trail die varieties that have been documented across multiple denominations and dates since the Trail Dies research group systematized their identification and classification. The 2013-P Jefferson Nickel was produced at Philadelphia during a year of standard nickel production, and trail die varieties from this period demonstrate that the hubbing process — despite decades of technological refinement — continued to produce these subtle manufacturing artifacts. Trail dies occupy a niche collecting specialty that rewards patience and careful examination, as their subtle linear character can be easily overlooked without proper lighting and magnification techniques.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Ron Traino
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References