2013P-1DER-006T Trail Die Reverse

Description

Found by Joe Koelling and cataloged by Trail Dies as the sixth reverse trail die on the 2013-P Lincoln Shield Cent, designation 2013P-1DER-006T, this variety carries the "T" suffix distinguishing it within the Trail Dies classification system. Both obverse and reverse are documented in Mid Die State, with the obverse showing no noted die markers — a relatively clean obverse surface. The reverse, however, presents a die crack in the left upper edge of the shield — a progressive failure line running through the upper-left portion of Lyndall Bass's Union Shield reverse design, where the die steel began fracturing under the repeated stress of production strikes. This shield-edge die crack serves as the primary reverse attribution marker, providing a visible and relatively easy-to-locate feature for confirming the die pairing. Trail die varieties on the Shield reverse design produce a different visual effect than trail dies on the earlier Memorial reverse: while Memorial trail dies create ghosted impressions of columns, steps, and architectural moldings, Shield trail dies generate secondary impressions of the horizontal and vertical stripes, the scroll banner reading ONE CENT, and the surrounding border elements. The geometric regularity of the Shield design — with its parallel stripes and symmetrical layout — means trail die ghosting appears as offset copies of straight-line elements, which can be easier to detect than the more complex architectural ghosting on Memorial reverse trail dies. The 2013-P Lincoln Shield Cent was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in copper-plated zinc composition at 2.5 grams. Koelling's discovery adds to the growing census of trail die varieties on the Shield reverse, which debuted in 2010 and has been accumulating documented varieties with each passing production year.

Die Markers

• Obverse is MDS – none noted.
• Reverse is MDS – a die crack is seen in the left upper edge of the shield.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Joe Koelling
• Expert attribution by Trail Dies

External References