SKH-1c-1945-03 Spiked Head

Description

Unlike proof Lincoln Cents where mirror-like fields make die cracks dramatically visible, this 1945 business strike Wheat Cent requires careful examination to reveal the spiked head variety cataloged as SKH-1c-1945-03. On circulation-quality coins, the spike projecting from Lincoln's head can blend with surface contact marks and luster variations, making detection dependent on magnification and proper lighting angles. The Cuds on Coins registry documents this as a distinct die from SKH-1c-1945-01, though both carry the same date and mint. No Cohen Index number has been assigned. The 1945 date falls within the wartime shell casing brass composition period, the last full year of this alloy before the return to standard bronze. Proof Lincoln Cents were not produced from 1943 through 1949 — the Mint suspended proof coin production during the war years and did not resume until 1950 — meaning all spiked head varieties from this era exist exclusively as business strikes. This absence of proof counterparts makes careful cherry-picking of circulation strikes the only path to acquiring spiked head varieties from the mid-1940s. Victor David Brenner's portrait of Abraham Lincoln, with its detailed rendering of hair curls above the forehead, provides the terrain where die cracks manifest as visible spikes.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross reference number: Cohen Index Not Listed. 03/23/2017.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References