1953 Lincoln Wheat Cent - SKH-1c-1953-01 Spiked Head

Description

Founding entry in the 1953 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent spiked head catalog, SKH-1c-1953-01 is cross-referenced to the Cohen Index as entry 53-87, establishing dual-system attribution with the Cuds on Coins designation. The Cohen Index, maintained as a separate reference for Lincoln Cent die varieties, provides an independent confirmation pathway for collectors and researchers. First cataloged on June 1, 2016, this variety documents the first cracked obverse die identified for the 1953-P date: a crack running from the rim into Lincoln's bust, raised on the coin as a spike on Lincoln's portrait. The Cohen Index number 53-87 suggests a substantial body of 1953 varieties already existed in that reference system at the time of listing, placing this spiked head within a broader context of documented 1953 die varieties. Philadelphia's 1953 cent production was robust, continuing the postwar expansion of coin manufacturing that would accelerate through the decade. Victor David Brenner's Lincoln portrait, in its forty-fourth year on the cent, was struck from dies produced using well-refined hubbing processes, yet dies still cracked in service. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, the -01 designation gives this variety first-in-sequence status for collectors who value priority entries. The existence of both -01 and -03 spiked heads for 1953-P (with Cohen references 53-87 and 53-99 respectively) suggests at least three documented cracked dies for the date, with potential undiscovered entries filling the sequence.

Cross References

• Cross reference: Cohen Index 53-87. 06/01/2016.

External References