1986 (P) Lincoln Memorial Cent - SKH-1c-1986-07 Spiked Head

Description

Collectors who hunt Lincoln cent die cracks often find spiked heads among their most visually satisfying discoveries, and SKH-1c-1986-07 on the 1986 Philadelphia cent exemplifies why. Unlike hairline die cracks that require magnification to detect, a well-developed spiked head can project visibly from the top of Lincoln's portrait even under a desk lamp, creating a dramatic spike that immediately signals something unusual to the observant searcher. This visual impact, combined with the affordability of common-date Lincoln cents, has made spiked head collecting a popular entry point for hobbyists transitioning from casual accumulation to systematic variety attribution. Victor David Brenner's original 1909 portrait places the highest relief of the obverse at the top of Lincoln's head, engineering a structural weak point into every die that carries this design. Accurate attribution of SKH-07 depends on matching the crack's specific angle, length, and associated field characteristics against published reference images. Struck at Philadelphia (no mint mark) on copper-plated zinc planchets (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper) at 2.5 grams and 19mm.

Cross References

• Cross reference: none. 09/23/2018.

External References