TRAILS ON THE WORKING HUB

Trail & Wavy Step Variety Dies

2006P-1WHDER-001WS

2006D-1WHDER-001T

2007P-1WHDER-001WS

2008P-1WHDER-001WS

When working with trail and wavy steps dies, mostly all have been produced on the working die, with the exception of the1985 and 1986 reverse Lincoln cent trail dies. These dies are listed as 1985(PDS)-1MDER-001T and 1986(PDS)-1MDER-001T. The can be seen in the 1985P, 1986P and 1986D listings on this site.

Since it is possible to have a master die with trails and we know that the working dies can also have trails, why would a working hub not have them also? For this to happen, we would see the working hub move across the face of the master die, having the high points of that master die gouging out lines like the working hub did to the working die. This could happen for there are high points or different levels, with corners and edges on the master die, which can make these lines.

The big question is what they would look like? The first clue came from Robert (Murphy) Tingle when in late 2006 he began talking about “anti” wavy steps; ones to him that looked indented instead of raised. At that time, I did not make the connection for I was still working on the theory of trails and had yet not comprehended that it was possible for other hubs and die to have these anomalies.

Now that I have been able to analysis one of these “anti” wavy steps dies, it is not too hard to figure out that a working hub trail (wavy steps) die is possible and in fact did happen. The oddity of this is that where the lines (fluting line extensions) were raise on the working die, on the working hub they will be indented.

This did happen on a number of working dies from 2006 and 2007 on the Lincoln cent reverse dies. The above picture shows the indents under the columns where normally you would see raised lines (or step deviation). Another interesting aspect of this find is the possibility of having a working die made with trails from a working hub with trails. Yes, this did happen and is documented on the die 2006P-1DER-030WS. This die will also carry an indicator of 2006P-1WHDER-001 (the WH stands for Working Hub).

You may ask why this working hub with trails occurred in two consecutive years. John Wexler provided the answer by stating that the reverse working hub, like some reverse working dies, were used in consecutive years. As long as there were no design changes made from one year to the next, that working hub or die may have been used to its fullest extent. So, due to this we will have two working hub trail dies; 2006P-1WHDER-001 and 2007P-1WHDER-001.

2006D-1WHDER-001T

Faint, incused trail lines are seen from the tops of the letters in the EPU. The offset direction appears to be 010 degrees. This is similar in nature to the other working hub trails found (see 2006P, 7P and 8P-1WHDER-001WS) in that the lines are created by movement of the working hub over the master die. This anomaly was found by Jean Lee.

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1988P-1WHDER-001T 000°

This is a similar die to 2006P-1WHDER-001 that affects the letters of the motto EPU. As wiith all working hub trails dies, the lines are incused on the coin face, The strength of these trail lines is dependent on when the hub made the working die.

The above example is 2007P-1WHDER-001. Notice how the line is indented into the coin’s surface. The question can be asked, “How was that indent formed?”

Let us look at the master die in that area. If you look closely, you will see that the bay and the column form a corner at their junction. This is the corner or point that it dragged across the memorial building stairs, forming a grove in those steps that it passes over. This groove is passed to the working die as a raised line through the stairs and transfered to the coin as a groove, just like what was placed on the working hub by the master die. Again, tilting of the working hub is the cause for which point on the master die causes the groove. This is the same condition (tilt) that is referred to on the creation of trails on the working die.

Will there be more examples of working hub trails? It is hard to say. We have had only one example of a master die with trails and this may be the only working hub that we will see with this type anomaly. It could be that both the master die and the working hubs go through a more stringent inspection, however, that is speculation. We can only wait and see what comes out of the MINT next.

When 2006P-1WHDER-001 and 2007P-1WHDER-001 appeared, I was confident that we would have a 2008P-1WHDER-001. Jeremy Gardner sent me a few of these dies and although some were different working dies, the indented lines remained the same. So, with that in mind, we now have the 2008 version of a working hub trail die in the form of wavy steps. Indented lines can be seen under columns 6, 7, 8, 11 and 12. Notice that these indented lines originate in the corner of the bay floor and the column.

2011P-WHDER-001 180°

These are incused trail lines that are seen from the bottom of the designer's initials. Pictured above are two different working dies with the same incused trail lines left by the working hub. The offset direction is 180°.