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. SKH-07 is the seventh cataloged spiked head for the 1986-P date in the Cuds on Coins census — a tally that reflects both the enormous striking volume at Philadelphia (4,491,395,493 cents) and the inherent vulnerability of the Lincoln portrait design to crown-origin die cracks. 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.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jonathan Raymond
• Cross reference: none. 09/23/2018.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References