SKH-1c-1971D-08 Spiked Head

Description

Recorded on September 15, 2017, SKH-1c-1971D-08 on the 1971-D Lincoln Memorial cent brings the documented spiked head population for this date to eight entries — already exceeding the total spiked head count for most other dates in the Memorial cent series. The Denver Mint's high-speed coinage production in 1971 created conditions particularly favorable for die crack formation at Lincoln's head: the repeated mechanical stress of striking millions of coins per die, combined with the stress concentration inherent in the portrait's high-relief hair detail, promoted fatigue cracking at a rate that generated an unusually large family of spiked head varieties. Attributed by Cuds on Coins, SKH-1c-1971D-08's specific crack path and visual presentation distinguish it within the catalog sequence. Identification requires examining the area around Lincoln's head for a raised line extending into the obverse field — a thin ridge of metal that filled the die crack during each strike. On higher-grade specimens where original mint luster is preserved, the spike often appears as a slightly different-textured line interrupting the field's uniform flow pattern, making detection somewhat easier than on heavily circulated examples where wear may have partially flattened the raised metal.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Keith Christenson
• Cross reference: none. 09/15/2017.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References