SKH-1c-1941-02 Spike Head

Description

Second spiked head variety documented for the 1941 Lincoln wheat cent as a proof specimen, cataloged by the Cuds on Coins attribution service under SKH-1c-1941-02. The proof designation distinguishes this variety from circulation-strike spiked heads of the same date, as proof coins are manufactured under controlled conditions using polished dies and specially selected planchets for collector sets. Philadelphia produced proof cent sets in 1941, with the proof set mintage of approximately 15,287 — a small production run by any standard, making die varieties on proof specimens proportionally scarcer than those on the hundreds of millions of circulation strikes produced the same year. Spiked heads on proof dies are particularly notable because the proof manufacturing process involves closer die inspection and shorter die runs than circulation production, yet even this elevated quality control cannot entirely prevent the small die chips that generate spike formations adjacent to Victor David Brenner's Lincoln portrait. The polished proof die surface and mirror-finish fields create dramatic visual contrast when a spike projects from the portrait — the raised spike catches light against the reflective field, making even small projections more visually striking than they would appear on the matte surface of a circulation strike. The "02" suffix indicates this is the second spiked head die documented for the 1941 date within the Cuds on Coins system, though the census may include both proof and circulation-strike specimens under the same date. Philadelphia's overall 1941 cent production of approximately 887.0 million circulation strikes and 15,287 proof sets created vastly different supply pools for variety hunting. Collectors should examine the area around Lincoln's head on 1941 proof cents under 8-12x magnification, where the mirror-field contrast will accentuate any raised spike projecting from the portrait.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John Smith
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References