SKH-1c-1940S-03 Spiked Head

Description

Third spiked head die documented for the 1940-S Lincoln wheat cent in the Cuds on Coins catalog, SKH-1c-1940S-03 records yet another instance of rim-to-portrait die cracking at the San Francisco Mint during an era of increasing production demands. San Francisco struck approximately 112.94 million cents in 1940, a figure that was climbing steadily as the nation's economy expanded in the pre-war period. The spiked head variety type represents one of the most visually accessible die crack categories for beginning collectors — the raised spike connecting the rim to Lincoln's head is often visible to the unaided eye or with minimal magnification, making it an excellent entry point for variety collecting. Victor David Brenner's Lincoln portrait, used continuously since 1909, positions the top of the head in close proximity to the rim, creating a thin section of die steel that acts as a fatigue crack initiation site under repeated striking. The three documented spiked heads for 1940-S (SKH-1c-1940S-01 through 03) suggest that San Francisco's die usage patterns during this period generated recurring failures at this location. Each die produces a spike with unique characteristics — the angle at which the crack enters Lincoln's head from the rim, the length of the raised feature, and the width of the metal fin all serve as distinguishing attributes among the three documented dies. Collectors sorting through 1940-S wheat cents should examine the 12 o'clock area under 5-10x magnification, looking for any raised linear feature that connects the rim to the portrait. Once a candidate is identified, comparison against published images for each of the three documented dies (01, 02, and 03) determines the specific attribution.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Mitch Wilkinson
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References