SKH-1c-1983D-05 Spiked Head

Description

Expanding the Denver spiked head census to five entries, SKH-1c-1983D-05 documents another die crack extending from the apex of Lincoln's head on the 1983-D Lincoln Memorial cent. While this variety does not carry an independent cross-reference in external attribution systems, its inclusion in the Cuds on Coins census provides formal documentation within a registry that has become one of the most comprehensive die break databases in American numismatics. The mechanics of spiked head formation are consistent across all specimens: concentrated stress at the junction between Lincoln's highest hair detail and the surrounding field creates a focal point for crack initiation in the hardened die steel, and once a crack begins propagating, the repeated impact of striking amplifies it with each successive coin produced. The resulting spike on the struck coin is a positive impression of the negative crack in the die — metal forced upward into the fracture channel during striking emerges as a raised protrusion extending from the portrait. Collectors prize spiked heads for their visual distinctiveness and the relative ease of detection compared to many other die varieties that require magnification to identify. The 1983-D cent's production volume ensured abundant die consumption and frequent opportunities for die crack development in this vulnerable region. Attribution by Cuds on Coins.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Earl M
• Cross reference: none. 07/01/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References