1943 (D) Lincoln Wheat Cent - SKH-1c-1943D-02 Spiked Head

Description

Second spiked head documented for the 1943 Denver Mint steel cent, SKH-1c-1943D-02 was cataloged by Cuds on Coins on October 7, 2016, approximately six months after the first entry for this date and mint. Like its predecessor, this variety is a crack in an obverse die used on the zinc-coated steel planchet production line, running from the rim into Lincoln's bust and showing as a raised spike on the portrait. The Cohen Index listing notes this variety as not indexed, indicating it falls outside that reference work's coverage scope. Two spiked heads from 1943-D come from a year of wartime production, when Denver was manufacturing cents at an accelerated pace to meet both domestic commerce needs and the demands of military operations overseas. Distinguishing SKH-1c-1943D-02 from the -01 entry requires comparison of spike position, angle, and associated die markers, as each spiked head comes from a different crack on a different obverse die. The Denver Mint's D mint mark on these steel cents appears below the date on the obverse, and spiked head varieties can occasionally interact visually with the mint mark area depending on the spike's location and orientation, adding another dimension to collector interest in these wartime varieties.

Cross References

• Cross reference number: Cohen Index Not Listed. 10/07/2016.

External References