SKH-1c-1958-05 Spike Head

Description

Cataloged by Cuds on Coins with a Cohen Index currently pending formal assignment, this spiked head appears on the 1958 Proof Lincoln Wheat Cent, the final year proof Wheat Cents were produced before the Memorial reverse replaced the wheat ears motif in 1959. The pending Cohen number indicates the variety has been submitted and documented but awaits processing into the formal catalog, reflecting the ongoing nature of attribution work. Proof coins are struck on specially prepared planchets using polished dies, making die cracks and their resulting spikes particularly visible against pristine surfaces. Spiked heads on proof issues are scarcer than business strike counterparts because proof runs are far smaller and die quality is monitored more closely. Philadelphia produced all proof coinage during this era, and the 1958 proof set holds significance as the last to feature the Wheat Cent reverse in continuous use since Victor David Brenner's 1909 design. A spiked head on a proof from this terminal year combines die variety interest with a design's final chapter.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross reference number: Cohen Index Pending. 09/17/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References