SKH-1c-1965-01 Spiked Head

Description

The first cataloged spiked head variety for the 1965 Lincoln cent, SKH-1c-1965-01 documents a distinctive die deterioration error from the Philadelphia Mint's massive 1965 production run. A spiked head occurs when a die crack or die chip near Lincoln's portrait creates a raised projection or spike extending from the head on the struck coin. The mechanism is straightforward: repeated high-pressure strikes gradually fatigue the hardened die steel, and when a small fragment fractures and separates near Lincoln's head, the resulting void in the die captures planchet metal during each subsequent strike, producing a spike-like protrusion on the finished coin. The spike's direction, length, and width are determined by the geometry of the die damage, and each spiked head variety is unique to the individual die that experienced the specific fracture. The 1965 cent was produced during the first year of the Coinage Act of 1965 era, when mint marks were removed from all U.S. coins and the cent's composition was changed from 95% copper with 5% tin-zinc to 95% copper with 5% zinc. Cross-referenced as Cohen Index 65-64 with a documentation date of 12/28/2016. The Cohen Index provides a systematic numerical catalog of spiked head varieties, and the designation 65-64 indicates this was the sixty-fourth spiked head documented for the 1965 date — demonstrating the remarkable frequency of die deterioration across the year's production of nearly 1.5 billion business strike cents. Attributed by Cuds on Coins. Struck on a 3.11-gram, 19mm planchet of 95% copper and 5% zinc.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross reference: Cohen Index 65-64. 12/28/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References