SKH-1c-1972D-03 Spiked Head

Description

Cataloged thirteen days after the first two entries in the 1972-D spiked head series, SKH-1c-1972D-03 was documented by the Cuds on Coins attribution team on January 26, 2017. This third spiked head variety adds to the growing catalog of dies that developed characteristic portrait-region cracks during Denver Mint operations in 1972, with no external cross-references assigned. Each spiked head variety for the 1972-D cent tells the story of a specific die's deterioration — the crack orientation, its length relative to the portrait, whether it projects vertically, laterally, or at an angle — all serving as unique identifiers that allow attribution of individual coins to specific dies in the Cuds on Coins catalog system. The spiked head phenomenon is particularly popular among collectors because it requires no specialized equipment to appreciate: unlike subtle doubled dies or repunched mintmarks that demand a loupe and careful comparison to reference images, a well-developed spike projecting from Lincoln's head is immediately visible and visually dramatic. This accessibility has made spiked heads a gateway variety for many collectors entering the die break specialty, and the 1972-D date's extensive catalog of sixteen documented varieties offers newcomers an achievable collecting goal — assembling a representative set that demonstrates the diversity of crack orientations and spike geometries possible within a single date and mintmark combination. The January 2017 documentation date suggests this variety came to light during a systematic review of 1972-D die break varieties by the Cuds on Coins research team.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Sandy Peters
• Cross reference: none. 01/26/2017.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References