PART III. Die Installation Errors:

Transitional Reverses (Minor Temporal Mis-

matches)

Through the years both the obverse and reverse of existing coinages has been modified or changed altogether numerous times. These changes may be new designs altogether, such as the change on the Lincoln cent from the wheat reverse (1909-1958) to that of the memorial reverse in 1959. Although more often, changes are simple and only include subtle modifications and there will be no notification to the collector or the public such a change has occurred. Modifications are usually slight changes to fonts, letter placement or the modification of a simple design element.

During a given circumstance, when the switch from one design to another happens from one year to another, if by
chance, or by purposeful intent, one die (usually the obverse die) is paired with the next year’s new opposing die (typically the reverse), a “Transitional Reverse,” or  “Mini Mule” has been created. Such a case might be a test of the new dies or a mix up of one sort or another; one can never ascertain the reasons as no evidence exists as to one.

A good recent example that was not identified until many years later is that of the 1988 Denver and Philadelphia Lincoln cents obverses being matched with one of several reverse dies meant for, and ultimately used in, 1989. Below a detailed an example of the two known reverses on the 1988 cents and the changed style of the designer’s initials (FG):