New 2000 P (SAC) 100 Major trail die!!!

[coin-crazy]

Moderate trail lines are seen from most of the motto,and on the letters One and United,and a few stars on the right side, and from the eagle's right wing.

[coin-crazy]

Wow,this site not into trail dies Im starting to think!!!

[diamond]

Yes, this coin definitely shows trails.

[19Lyds]

Is it possible that these "trail dies" are the direct result of a polishing wheel getting hung up on the corners of the letters as the die is polished?

[diamond]

This explanation has been proposed and convincingly dismantled. See www.traildies.com for the full discussion. Or wait until BJ chimes in.

[wavysteps]

That is a very nice trail die and one that I would be anxious to see and list. Congratulations on a great find.

As to a polishing wheel or any kind of buffing apparatus making trails, it is impossible. The major factor against any form of polishing device constructing lines on the die is that trail dies do have patterns, not only in the same year, but over a long extended period of years. It is evident in these patterns the trail lines formed are at the same exact direction and have the same distortion over long periods of time. No human, no matter how skilled, can continuously replicate such precise patterns over and over again. Then there is the trail line itself. Studies have shown that the line is formed by slow movement and not at the speeds that are obtained by polishing or buffing machines. Please refer to the picture in this thread.

This trail line was formed at the bottom of the T in CENT on a Lincoln cent. Notice that it has some cures to it and that the edge, especially near the base of the T is exceedingly sharp, almost like the edge of a knife. Also notice the depth of that line at its start point is almost as deep as the design element itself.

Sorry, but die polishing is not the answer to trail dies.

BJ Neff