1988-P Transitional Reverse?

Wexler's Die Varieties (Doubledie.com) has a section describing both (1988P & 1988D) varieties. Look under "Transitional Designs".

rayof315,

I think the reason you do not see many of these offered is because both mints are still relatively unknown to the masses in contrast to the Wide and Close AM varieties that are listed in the Red Book and CherryPickers' Guide (CPG). I could be wrong, but I think the only book to carry these varieties is my book, coauthored with Dr. Brian Allan, Strike It Rich With Pocket Change. Even though Strike It Rich is undoubtedly the second best selling error-variety book of all time, second only to CPG, its target audience is the new collector and non-collector walking into Barnes & Noble or a mom-and-pop book store and not the more advanced established collector who gets Numismatic News, Coin World, the Grey Sheet, or buys books like the CPG or the Red Book (though some advanced collectors do "discover" Strike It Rich and do say they get a lot of out it).

I believe until these varieties get more attention they will stay relatively "best kept secrets" among the more advanced variety collectors.

I might mention that while, 1989 varieties have been rumored to exist, those rumors were originally based on a mis-attribution and that none have ever been found. Still, who knows.

Rackster,
You never know what you'll find flipping over those 1989s. Who would have thought a Close AM would have been found on the 1992-P&D cents? I'm still waiting for somebody to find a solid 3.1 gram copper-alloy cent for 2008 or 2010. Since the cents struck in 2009 for Mint Sets and Proof sets are in this classic alloy, I can't help but to think at least a few of those planchets got struck for those years. On the flip side, it would seem like at least a few of the Proof/Mint Set 2009 issues got struck on the copper plated zinc planchets.

Haha, I know Stoneman, they keep coming, I learn something new everyday after having gone through 1000's of rolls!

The images of the FG, give me a headache. But I does appear to be a 006 from the better image.

There is another way to check and that is on the AME area:

Note the rounded and flattened devices on these devices. The 006 also show a wider design.
Variety Vista lists 7 Philly ones and 6 Denver ones:
http://www.varietyvista.com/Variety...by%20Die.htm
So they happened at both mints.

What are you using now?

You're doing rather well. The 30-60x shots are a challenge and it takes time and patience to get those sharp. I've had success using an inexpensive microscope at 20x and snapping a shot with my iPhone using one of the eye pieces.