1983 (P) Lincoln Memorial Cent - SKH-1c-1983-42 Spike Head

Description

Listed as a solo entry without a companion Spiked Head listing or documented reverse diagnostics, SKH-1c-1983-42 cataloged by Cuds on Coins under the Spike Head designation is the forty-second confirmed spiked head variety for the 1983 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial cent. The absence of documented reverse die cracks does not diminish the variety's significance within the census — it simply means that the reverse die paired with this spiked head obverse had not developed visible deterioration features at the time the variety was documented, or that such features were not recorded. Solo entries without paired Spiked Head listings appear periodically throughout the census and may reflect the variety's discovery timeline or cataloging circumstances rather than any fundamental difference in the die defect itself. The spike mechanism remains the same as all other SKH varieties: a fatigue crack or gouge in the obverse die near Lincoln's bust created a void that filled with planchet metal during striking, producing a raised projection. As the census extends past forty confirmed varieties for a single date, the 1983-P cent's position as the most thoroughly documented spiked head date in American numismatics is beyond question. Attribution by Cuds on Coins.

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