1986 TO 2006 DEO

FORWARD

This project began innocently enough with the finding of a few wavy step dies that we now know as “trails”. It has now progressed to this point and the need for comprehensive listing of these odd anomalies so we can further understand just what is happening..

It was in the year 2003 that I read, in one of the coin weeklies, that a new doubled die had been found. It was aptly called wavy steps for the way the Memorial steps were bent in the semblance of waves. It was quite by accident that while searching EBay, I found a wavy step die for auction and as fate would have it, that 1999 doubled die found its way into my hands. Gene Nichols had also tracked this auction and knowing that I had won this particular variety directed me to Billy Crawford, a Lincoln cent die expert. He too, at that time, was also interested and studying this particular variety along with Ken Potter, another die expert. That was the start of this adventure and in the years that have transpired, I have found more than a few of this type variety. With only limited other listings to identify this large collection, I began the “trails” file.

The listings on these “trail” dies is an on going project that is updated every year, with new entries that have been found. It is my opinion that until the U.S. Mint finds just what is causing these “trails”, we will have a continuing supply of these anomalies, so you can see the reason to continue this project.

I believe that this information, presented in this format, enables you to add information in the areas that need updating. That is the reasoning behind this Microsoft Word disc; you have control of what to add to it and when to add it. The other nice features of this method are colored photographs and low cost for a work of this size. With over 1500 photos, you can imagine the cost of a hard copy file of this magnitude.

My ultimate goal in this endeavor is to make the variety, “trails”, as interesting to collect as RPM’s, for they are just as varied as that type of collectible and the fact is, with the Mints adding the mint mark into the master die, which started in the year 1990, it put an end to RPMs. However, both Mints are still producing “trails”.

I am sure that there is a lot more of this variety to be found, since I have been only searching coins that were in Florida. Most of the files are for Philadelphia Mint coins with some Denver Mint coins that I have been able to find. Once more people begin to search for this oddity, I am sure that equal numbers from both Mints will be found.

Finally, I would like to dedicate these files to Gene Nichols for getting me started and offering continuous support on this project and especially to my loving wife, Jeanie, for putting up with me and the long hours that I spent on the PC, the camera and the stereoscope during this time.

In closing, have fun searching and with good luck you will some day find that monster wavy step that I am sure is still out there.

Robert (BJ) Neff

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A BRIEF HISTORY ON WAVY STEPS

John Wexler, in late 1994 or early 1995, received for attribution a Lincoln cent from G. J. Lawson that had a strange bending or waving of the Memorial building steps under the columns. After his examination, John Wexler listed this peculiarity in his system as 1994, 1c, WDDR-004, as a doubled die reverse.

It wasn’t until June of 2000 that this peculiar die came into the light again. Kenneth Edgar submitted a Lincoln cent for attribution to Ken Potter, who identified it as the 1994, 1c, WDDR-004 and assigned his number, VCR#2/DDR#2 to the die. Once again, the variety lay dormant until 2003 when Harold Kuykendall of Virginia submitted a Lincoln cent, minted in that year, to Ken Potter for his analysis. Ken Potter recognized similarities of the 2003 coin to the previously listed 1994, 1c, WDDR-004, however, this coin did not have the strength of doubling or the extent of intrusion of the fluting lines that the 1994 did. Plus, the 2003 coin was produced by single squeeze process and doubled dies were not supposed to happen.

It was Billy Crawford, who soon after, found a 2003 Lincoln cent that showed very strong fluting line extension into the steps below, par with the 1994. It was now possible to determine that the 2003 was indeed a doubled die. Up until this time, the term WAVY STEPS had not been used to define this variety; it is now applied to all Lincoln cents that have this peculiarity. The third date to show, a 1999 WAVY STEPS, soon surfaced after the 2003 coin and is pictured in the title page of these files. This coin was purchased by me on E-bay. After that, Lincoln cents from 1986 up until the present have shown this anomaly. How far will TRAIL DIES go on; only the Mint knows?

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TERMINOLOGY

DIE TILT…………...This effect is caused by tilt to die face in a random direction. This may be the reason that there is a strengthening of lines on one side or the other.

FLUTING LINES…. These are lines that appear under the columns. They are not created by the actual fluting lines in the columns, but by the 90 degree angles formed at the base of the column and the fluting lines. At times all three fluting lines will be observed under columns 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, and 12, however, normally only one or two will be seen. It is also possible, but rare, to see fluting lines extend into the steps below columns # 4 and 9.

OFFSET DIRECTION .. This is the direction, given in degrees, that the lines, either “trails” or “wavy steps”, take

STEP DEVIATION…. Step deviation is the actual bending of the stairs by the extension of the fluting lines into the step below the columns. This occurs mainly on steps # 5, 6, 7 and 8. It is also possible to see step deviation under columns # 4 and 9 and this is dependent on the shift of the fluting lines. Occasionally, step deviation, especially in strong examples, will occur under either or both posts.

STRENGTH OF EXTENSION… this is also used as an identification tool:

Fluting lines Light – Fluting line to first step

Moderate – Fluting line to third step

Strong – Fluting line passed the third step

Very strong – Fluting line into shrubbery

Step deviation Light – Step deviation to the third step

Moderate – Step deviation to the seventh step

Strong – Step deviation to the twelfth step

Very strong – Step deviation to the bottom step

TRAILS - This is a term to describe dies that have a series of parallel, tapered lines, which are formed by the single squeeze hubbing process. Wavy steps are trails and included in this definition.

WAVY STEPS - This is the term used to describe the affect of the column extension into the steps below the columns of the Lincoln Memorial building. This is simple another direction that “trails’ can take and is again a product of the single squeeze process.

COLOR CODED NUMBERS

ABOVE AVERAGE LISTING

MAJOR LISTING

MUST SEE LISTING

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TRAIL DIE NUMBERS BY THE YEAR: 431

The earliest known wavy step die, a 1986-D, was first found in the later part of 2006 by Chuck Daughtrey. This corresponds to the time frame that the MINT began experimenting with the single squeeze process.

1986P - 0 2000P - 8

1986D - 1 2000D - 2

1987P - 7 2001P - 6

1987D - 3 2001D - 2

1988P - 1 2002P - 2

1988D - 1 2002D - 1

1989P - 7 2003P - 47

1989D - 0 2003D - 0

1990P - 3 2004P - 23

1990D - 3 2004D - 4

1991P - 3 2005P - 17

1991D - 0 2005D - 1

1992P - 0 2006P - 29

1992D - 3 2006D - 1

1993P - 39

1993D - 11

1994P - 38

1994D - 13

1995P - 21

1995D - 5

1996P - 16

1996D - 3

1997P - 25

1997D - 2

1998P - 31

1998D -- 1

1999P - 45

1999D - 2

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WHAT IS IN THE FUTURE FOR TRAIL DIES?

I am sure that there are a lot more trail dies to be found and although I am not certain, I believe that both Mints will be producing this variety. We are now looking at the 2007 Lincoln cents and some are showing up for that date. How many more is a big question?

With more and more people switching to and using microscopes, binocular-scopes, stereoscopes and such, more and more errors are bound to be found. Even the Wheat cents are turning up more than a few surprises as far as RPMs and doubled dies are concerned, thanks to better magnification tools. Don’t be discouraged by those who say that the only true variety or error coin is the one that can be seen with only the naked eye; if that were the case there would be no need for this file or any of the other existing files. So take the leap, if you do not have a scope, and purchase one. It is well worth it and leave the loupe for shows and traveling.

In the past, most of us have searched the obverse of a coin only, for that was where the more interesting varieties were. In the future, flip that coin over, for now there is not only “trails” , but “bars”, which is another form of doubled die. I have shown a few pictures of this variety in the files when it was coupled with a trail die. So, be on the lookout for this variety also while searching.

Even though this variety has been known for 12 years or so, none have been encapsulated for one reason or another. One point is that there have been very few listings for this variety. Billy Crawford, Ken Potter and John Wexler have listed some of the dies, focusing mostly on the majors. A Web site called “Coppercoins.com”, created by Chuck Daughtrey, has recently started to list wavy steps dies also. As more and more trail dies are listed, the interest for these coins will increase.

One other thing is for certain in the future, I will definitely continue these files on these anomalies for I believe that they should have a page in the history of our coinage for it is deserved. Other than that, it is up to you and the MINT to see what becomes of the anomaly called “TRAILS”.

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PHOTOGRAPHS AND SUCH

The camera that I used is a OLYMPUS CAMEDIA, Digital, D-460ZOOM, 1.3mp.

The scope is a Stereoscope, 7.5 X to 35 X ZOOM with overhead and underneath halogen lighting.

I used two programs in combing and highlighting the pictures. Microsoft Picture, PHOTO 2002 and Kodak EASYSHARE in the beginning. I later switched to Adobe Photoshop 7

The end result has been copied onto Microsoft Word using it as a format for these files.

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BOOKMARK USE, VARIOUS NUMBERING SYSTEMS AND POPULATION INDEX

I have provided a bookmark system that will help you navigate the many different year dies. Just click “bookmark” on the tool bar, select the year that you prefer to see, then click “go to”. It is a simple as that.

I have referred to some different numbering systems in the cross-references that may be unfamiliar. All numbering systems that have a C as a heading are Billy Crawford’s, ex. CDDR-001; all numbering systems with a heading of W are John Wexler’s, ex. WDDR-001. Numbering systems that use the VCR#1/DDR#1 are Ken Potter’s and finally, numbering systems that appear as such, 2004P-1DR-001, are from Coppercoins and Chuck Daughtrey.

Q. David Bowers Population Scale:

URS-1….….……… I KNOWN URS-9……...126 TO 250

URS-2.…….……...2 KNOWN URS-10….…251 TO 500

URS-3.….….3 TO 4 KNOWN URS-11…..501 TO 1000

URS-4.….….5 TO 8 KNOWN URS-12…1001 TO 2000

URS-5.…...9 TO 16 KNOWN URS-13…2001 TO 4000

URS-6.….17 TO 32 KNOWN URS-14…4001 TO 8000

URS-7..…33 TO 64 KNOWN

URS-8...65 TO 125 KNOWN

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