SKH-1c-1973D-04 Spiked Head

Description

Documented on January 31, 2018, SKH-1c-1973D-04 is the fourth entry in the spiked head catalog for the 1973 Denver Lincoln Memorial cent, attributed by the Cuds on Coins team. No cross-references to external attribution services exist for this variety. The January 2018 date represents a gap of approximately ten months from the previous entry (March 2017), reflecting the sporadic pace at which new spiked head dies are discovered, submitted, and formally cataloged. Each new entry requires the attribution team to confirm that the submitted specimen's spike geometry does not match any previously documented variety for the same date — a comparison that becomes progressively more demanding as the catalog grows. The angular orientation of the spike relative to the vertical axis of the portrait, combined with its point of emergence on Lincoln's scalp and its physical dimensions, constitute the fingerprint that uniquely identifies each spiked head die. SKH-1c-1973D-04 passed this differentiation test against the three prior entries, confirming it as the product of a fourth distinct obverse die that developed the characteristic fatigue fracture at the portrait apex during Denver's 1973 production run. Collectors seeking this variety should examine 1973-D cents under magnification, focusing on the highest point of Lincoln's head where a raised projection — ranging from a barely perceptible nub to a prominent spike depending on die state — would be visible above the normal profile of the portrait.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Bob Byrd
• Cross reference: none. 01/31/2018.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References