SKH-1c-1950-11 Spiked Head

Description

Die gouges and die cracks extending from Lincoln's portrait create the distinctive "spiked head" effect that gives this variety class its name, and SKH-1c-1950-11 documents the eleventh cataloged example on the 1950 Philadelphia Lincoln Wheat Cent. The variety is cross-referenced in the Cohen Index as 50-BA60 within the BIE section — a classification placing spiked heads alongside BIE die breaks, reflecting the shared mechanism of die surface deterioration producing both variety types. A spiked head forms when a crack or gouge radiates outward from the high-relief areas of Lincoln's head, creating a raised spike on struck coins that can range from a subtle hair-thin line to a prominent protrusion visible unaided. The eleventh entry for 1950 indicates moderate documentation density, consistent with Philadelphia's substantial midcentury Wheat Cent production. Die cracks emanating from the portrait develop because the deeply recessed features of Lincoln's head create stress concentrations where fatigue cracks preferentially nucleate. Each spiked head traces to a unique working die with its own crack pattern. No additional cross-references beyond the Cohen Index listing are published.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross reference number: Cohen Index 50-BA60 “BIE Section”. 03/18/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References