SKH-1c-1950-17 Spiked Head

Description

Seventeenth cataloged spiked head for the 1950 Philadelphia Lincoln wheat cent, SKH-1c-1950-17 continues the extensive die clash documentation for this early Cold War-era date. By 1950, the United States Mint had settled back into peacetime production rhythms after the composition upheavals of 1943-1946, striking cents on standard bronze planchets at Philadelphia and San Francisco (Denver did not produce cents in 1950, though it famously struck the low-mintage 1950-D nickel). Philadelphia's output of approximately 272.6 million cents provided ample opportunity for die clashes during the high-speed coining process, where mechanical timing irregularities can bring the obverse and reverse dies into contact without an intervening planchet. Each clash event risks impressing reverse design elements into the obverse die near Lincoln's portrait, and when wheat ear stalks or rim features create a visible raised projection from the head area, the result is classified as a spiked head variety. The distinction between this 17th variety and the 16th, 18th, 19th, and other spiked heads documented for the same date lies in the precise location, direction, and extent of the spike — each originates from a different die and a different clash event, producing a unique diagnostic pattern. Victor David Brenner's obverse design, approaching its 42nd year of production in 1950, had become the most familiar portrait in American coinage. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, this variety challenges collectors to identify the specific spike characteristics that separate it from the numerous other spiked head varieties on the 1950 cent. Examination at 10-15x magnification should focus on Lincoln's head area, and comparison against published diagnostic images for each numbered variety is essential for accurate attribution.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Lucas M
• Cross reference number: none. 06/11/2018.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References