SKH-1c-1964-01 Spiked Head

Description

Carrying the same SKH-1c-1964-01 catalog designation as its proof counterpart, this regular strike variant of the spiked head variety was struck from the Philadelphia Mint's massive 1964 business strike production of 2,648,575,000 Lincoln cents. A spiked head is a die deterioration variety where a crack or chip in the die near Lincoln's head produces a raised spike-like projection on the struck coin, typically extending from the top of the head, the forehead, or the hair detail. The spike forms because the void left by the missing die fragment fills with metal under the enormous pressure of the striking process, creating a distinctive protrusion that can range from a tiny bump to a dramatic horn-like extension depending on the size and shape of the die break. Business strike dies at the Philadelphia Mint in 1964 served approximately 250,000 to 500,000 impressions each, and the cumulative stress of hundreds of thousands of strikes at pressures exceeding 40 tons made die deterioration an inevitable occurrence across the enormous die population needed for the year's record production. Cross-referenced as Cohen Index 64-76 with a documentation date of 06/11/2016, matching the same variety documented under the proof strike companion listing. The shared Cohen Index confirms that both entries reference the same die deterioration pattern, documented across different strike types in the catalog. Attributed by Cuds on Coins. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint on a 95% copper, 5% tin-zinc planchet weighing 3.11 grams at 19mm diameter.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Louis A
• Cross reference: Cohen Index 64-76. 06/11/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References