SKH-1c-1958D-04 Spiked Head

Description

Marking the final year of the Lincoln Wheat Cent at the Denver Mint, this fourth documented spiked head for the 1958-D records a die fill variety from the last production run of a design in continuous use since 1909. A spiked head occurs when foreign matter lodges in the die cavity near Lincoln's portrait, creating a void that produces a raised spike on the struck coin. The 1958-D was the terminal Denver issue before the switch to Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial reverse in 1959, making die varieties from this date appealing to collectors who value end-of-series material. Victor David Brenner's iconic wheat ears reverse — the longest-running reverse design in American cent production — would not appear on a cent again after 1958. SKH-1c-1958D-04 is cataloged by Cuds on Coins and is not listed in the Cohen Index. Denver produced enormous quantities of cents in 1958, and the high die pair count created many opportunities for debris to accumulate and produce spiked heads. Four documented examples represents a moderate count consistent with the volume of dies employed during the final Wheat Cent year.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross reference number:  Cohen Index Not Listed. 04/13/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References