The definition for "Trails" has been updated in the glossary. It now reads as follows:

Trail Die: Generally speaking, trails are parallel raised ridges which extend away from the corners of a coin’s design elements. They are strongest at the point where the device meets the field, and then taper off as they extend into the field. They vary in strength from naked-eye obvious to barely perceptible under magnification. A single coin can exhibit multiple sets of trails going in multiple directions. These ridges are created during polishing of the die by a rotary tool. A soft buff or bristles penetrate into the die’s recesses, gather in the corners of those devices, and then erode a gouge into the die as they exit the recesses into the higher relief of the field. Trails can also occur on a coin’s incuse devices, which are raised on the die. In this instance, the buff or bristle concentrate against the raised wall and gouge out a trail into the field where the device terminates. Since there is no change in relief in this instance, the trails are weaker. Wavy steps are a form of trails. First picture below by Ray Parkhurst. For a more detailed explanation, please see the article “Unraveling the Mysteries of Trail Dies” by Will Brooks in the July 17th 2017 issue of Coinworld Weekly. To see listings of trails, please visit http://www.traildies.com/.


Stay tuned for other edits as I find time. (which is slim and none these days, lol.) Please feel free to message me about edits that need to be made so I can add them to my list. Thank you.