1943 Lincoln Wheat Cent - SKH-1c-1943-03 Spiked Head

Description

Third in the spiked head sequence for the 1943 Philadelphia Lincoln wheat cent, SKH-1c-1943-03 captures another die crack variety on what may be the most visually distinctive coin in American numismatic history — the silvery zinc-coated steel cent that replaced the familiar bronze penny during World War II. Philadelphia's massive 1943 output of approximately 684.6 million steel cents consumed die pairs at an accelerated rate, as the harder steel planchets wore dies faster. The spiked head begins when a crack opens in the obverse die between the rim and Lincoln's bust. Each strike forces planchet metal into the crack, so every later coin from that die carries a raised projection — a spike — extending from Lincoln's head. The catalog designation SKH-1c-1943-03 follows Cuds on Coins conventions: SKH for spiked head, 1c for the one-cent denomination, 1943 for the date, and 03 indicating the third variety in the sequence. The 1943 steel cent holds a unique place in collector awareness because its unusual appearance — often mistaken for a dime by the public — and its wartime story make it one of the most recognized and collected dates in the Lincoln cent series. Spiked head varieties add an additional layer of interest for collectors who appreciate die-produced anomalies, and the abundant population of 1943 Philadelphia steel cents means examples surface regularly. Identification requires 10-15x magnification focused on the area around Lincoln's head, looking for a thin raised line that projects consistently from the portrait in a specific direction unique to each documented spiked head variety.

Cross References

• Cross reference number: none. 01/19/2018.

External References