SKH-1c-1950-07 Spiked Head

Description

Seventh spiked head variety documented for the 1950 Philadelphia business-strike Lincoln Wheat Cent, this die chip error near Lincoln's portrait carries an unusual dual attribution in the Cohen Index system. One reference is listed as Cohen Index Not Listed, indicating the variety was not found in one edition or section of the Cohen catalog, while a second reference identifies it as Cohen Index 50-71B — suggesting the die involved in this spiked head corresponds to a known die marriage in the Cohen framework despite the spike itself not being independently cataloged there. This discrepancy between "Not Listed" and a specific Cohen number may reflect how different Cohen reference categories handle die chips versus die marriages, with the spike falling outside one system's scope while the underlying die pairing is recognized in another. Spiked heads result from small die fractures or chips near Lincoln's portrait that leave raised spike-like projections on struck coins. The 1950 Philadelphia cent was produced in substantial quantity — over 272 million coins — providing many die pairs in which chip-type failures could develop. Cataloged as SKH-1c-1950-07 by Cuds on Coins.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross reference number: Cohen Index Not Listed. 03/18/2016. Cross reference number: Cohen Index 50-71B. 03/18/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References