SKH-1c-1943D-04 Spiked Head

Description

Struck on a zinc-coated steel planchet at the Denver Mint during the only year Lincoln Cents were produced in this wartime composition, the fourth documented spiked head for the 1943-D carries the added intrigue of unusual metal interaction between die and planchet. A spiked head forms when foreign matter lodges in the die cavity near Lincoln's portrait, filling a recess that should remain empty and causing a raised spike of metal on the struck coin. The steel cent composition — zinc coating over a steel core — may have interacted differently with debris accumulation compared to bronze, potentially affecting how die fills formed and persisted. SKH-1c-1943D-04 is cataloged by Cuds on Coins and is not listed in the Cohen Index. The 1943-D steel cent is one of the most studied dates in numismatics, largely because the composition makes it instantly recognizable and because 1943 copper cents struck on leftover bronze planchets are among the most famous U.S. mint errors. Four spiked heads from the Denver Mint reflect the high production volume needed to supply wartime coinage.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Mitch Wilkinson
• Cross reference number: Cohen Index Not Listed. 003/04/2024.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References