SKH-1c-1991-06 Spiked Head

Description

With 19 distinct spiked head varieties cataloged, the 1991 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial cent holds one of the largest spiked head censuses for any single date in the series, and SKH-1c-1991-06 — reported in October 2017 — represents the sixth die to exhibit this characteristic crack pattern. Each of the 19 varieties corresponds to a separate obverse die that developed a crack at the portrait-to-field boundary, meaning at least 19 different dies used during 1991 Philadelphia cent production reached a deterioration stage where the portrait edge began to fracture. This prolific count documents extensive die wear across a substantial portion of the dies employed that year, suggesting that production conditions in 1991 — whether related to striking pressure settings, die steel composition, hub design depth, or production volume demands — created an environment particularly conducive to boundary-zone cracking. The discoveries span from 2016 through 2024, reflecting nearly a decade of ongoing scrutiny by variety searchers who continue to find previously undocumented dies among 1991-dated cents encountered in circulation, rolls, and collections. Struck at Philadelphia on copper-plated zinc planchets composed of 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper, weighing 2.5 grams and measuring 19mm.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Earl M
• Cross reference: none. 1013/2017.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References