SKH-1c-1972D-02 Spiked Head

Description

Also documented on January 13, 2017 — the same day as SKH-1c-1972D-01 — the second spiked head variety for the 1972-D Lincoln Memorial cent demonstrates that multiple dies in service at the Denver Mint developed similar head-region cracks during the 1972 production campaign. Cataloged as SKH-1c-1972D-02 by the Cuds on Coins team with no cross-references established, this variety is distinguished from the first entry by differences in the spike's position, angle, length, or shape — each spiked head receives its own catalog number because the crack pattern on each die is unique, like a fingerprint of that particular die's failure history. The phenomenon that creates spiked heads is well understood metallurgically: the deepest recess in a Lincoln cent obverse die corresponds to the highest point on Lincoln's head, and this depth creates a thin wall of die steel above the recess that is prone to fatigue cracking. When the crack breaks through to the die face, it creates a channel that fills with metal during striking — producing the raised spike on the coin. The consistency of this failure mode across many dies explains why sixteen distinct spiked head varieties have been cataloged for the 1972-D date alone. For authentication purposes, genuine spiked heads show flow lines within the spike consistent with metal being forced into a crack under high pressure, distinguishing them from post-strike damage or tool marks that lack the characteristic metal flow pattern.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Andrew Wojtowich
• Cross reference: none. 01/13/2017.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References