SKH-1c-1961D-01 Spiked Head

Description

Documented by Cuds on Coins as SKH-1c-1961D-01, this spiked head variety on the 1961-D Lincoln Memorial Cent belongs to a distinctive class of die deterioration varieties defined by a spike-like projection extending from Lincoln’s head on the obverse. A spiked head occurs when a die crack or die break develops at the top of Lincoln’s portrait in a position and orientation that produces a raised spike, horn, or antenna-like protrusion on the struck coin. The spike is caused by metal from the planchet being forced into the crevice created by the die crack during the striking process, producing a raised feature that extends beyond the normal profile of Lincoln’s head. Spiked head varieties are popular with collectors because the resulting spike is often visible to the unaided eye, making them one of the few die varieties that can be identified without magnification. The location and angle of the spike vary from die to die depending on where the crack originated and the direction in which it propagated through the die steel. First cataloged on March 27, 2024, this example from the 1961-D Lincoln Memorial Cent has no known cross-references to other attribution systems. The 1961-D date’s high mintage and correspondingly large number of working dies created numerous opportunities for die deterioration varieties like spiked heads to develop, as each die’s individual service history determined whether and where cracks would form in the portrait area. Spiked heads are sometimes confused with die cuds, but the two are distinct: a cud involves a piece of the die breaking away entirely, while a spiked head results from a crack that channels metal upward without material separation.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Robert Oney
• Cross reference: none. 03/27/2024.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References