SKH-1c-1975D-01 Spiked Head

Description

Documented as SKH-1c-1975D-01 by Cuds on Coins with a catalog date of March 12, 2024, this spiked head variety appears on the 1975 Denver Mint Lincoln Memorial cent. The "spiked head" designation identifies a specific subclass of die damage in which a chip, gouge, or crack in the die surface near Lincoln's portrait produces a raised spike or horn-like protrusion extending from the president's head on struck coins. The mechanism is straightforward: when a small piece of die steel fractures away or a gouge is cut into the die face in the area of Lincoln's head, planchet metal fills the resulting cavity during striking and stands proud of the surrounding design surface, creating the spike. Spiked head varieties have earned their own dedicated prefix (SKH) in the Cuds on Coins catalog system, separate from the standard die chip (DC) and rim cud (CU) designations, reflecting their status as a distinct and popular collecting niche within the Lincoln cent series. No additional cross-reference numbers from other attribution services have been assigned to this variety. The March 2024 documentation date indicates this is a relatively recent addition to the catalog, though the coins themselves were struck nearly fifty years earlier during the Denver Mint's high-volume 1975 production run. Collectors should examine the top of Lincoln's head on candidate specimens for the characteristic raised projection that defines the spiked head error type. Attribution by Cuds on Coins.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Robert Oney
• Cross reference: none. 03/12/2024.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References