1944 (D) Lincoln Wheat Cent - SKH-1c-1944D-05 Spiked Head

Description

Fifth spiked head documented for the 1944 Denver Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent, SKH-1c-1944D-05 was cataloged by Cuds on Coins on July 19, 2017. The 1944-D cent marks the return to copper composition after the singular 1943 steel cent experiment — specifically, these cents were struck on shell-case copper planchets recycled from spent ammunition cartridges. The spiked head formed the same way on this shell-case alloy as on standard bronze: a crack in the obverse die ran from the rim into Lincoln's bust, and the metal filling it showed as a raised spike on Lincoln's portrait in subsequent strikes. Five documented spiked heads for 1944-D means at least five different obverse dies cracked this way during Denver's production run — a year when cent manufacturing was still operating at wartime levels to replenish coinage depleted by hoarding and military needs. The Cohen Index does not list this variety, placing its primary documentation within the Cuds on Coins catalog. Each of the five spiked heads is distinguished by the unique characteristics of its spike — position relative to Lincoln's profile, angular orientation, and length — diagnostics that variety researchers employ to assign sequential catalog numbers. Denver's D mint mark below the date on the obverse places these spiked heads unambiguously as Denver production.

Cross References

• Cross reference number: Cohen Index Not listed. 07/19/2017.

External References