SKH-1c-1966-01 Spiked Head

Description

The first cataloged spiked head variety for the 1966 Lincoln cent, SKH-1c-1966-01 documents a distinctive die deterioration error in which a raised spike or horn-like projection extends from Lincoln's head on the obverse. Spiked heads result from die cracking or chipping in the vicinity of Lincoln's portrait, where the recessed cavity in the die that forms the head is surrounded by field-level die steel. When a crack develops along the boundary between the portrait cavity and the adjacent field, or when a chip separates from the die surface near the head, the resulting void captures planchet metal during striking and produces a raised projection that appears to emerge from Lincoln's profile. The direction and length of the spike depend on the orientation and extent of the die damage, and each spiked head variety is unique to the individual die that experienced the specific fracture. Cross-referenced as Cohen Index 66-24, with a documentation date of 02/16/2017. The Cohen Index provides a systematic numerical catalog of spiked head varieties across the Lincoln cent series, and the designation 66-24 identifies this as the twenty-fourth spiked head documented for the 1966 date. The 1966 Lincoln cent was produced at the Philadelphia Mint without mint marks under the Coinage Act of 1965, with a business strike mintage of 2,188,147,783 cents. Attributed by Cuds on Coins. Struck on a 3.11-gram, 19mm planchet of 95% copper and 5% zinc.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Frank Waddell
• Cross reference: Cohen Index 66-24. 02/16/2017.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References