1949 Lincoln Wheat Cent - SKH-1c-1949-03 Spiked Head

Description

Third spiked head documented for the 1949 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent, this variety carries the Cohen Index cross-reference 49-81, placing it within the comprehensive Lincoln Cent die classification system alongside the earlier 49-88 and 49-75 entries. Three spiked heads for a post-war Wheat Cent date demonstrates a solid level of documentation, indicating that at least three distinct obverse dies cracked from the rim into Lincoln's bust. The Cohen Index 49-81 designation provides precise die identification within the Cohen system — different from the sequential numbering of the Cuds on Coins spiked head catalog, which tracks discovery order rather than die pair identity. The 1949-P cent was struck during the late 1940s economic expansion, a period when the United States Mint was producing coins in volumes sufficient to supply growing post-war commercial activity. Bronze composition (95% copper, 4% zinc, 1% tin) had been restored in 1947 after the wartime deviations of 1943 steel and 1944-1946 shell-case brass. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins on February 22, 2017, SKH-1c-1949-03 adds depth to the 1949-P spiked head record.

Cross References

• Cross reference number: Cohen Index 49-81. 02/22/2017.

External References