SKH-1c-2007-01 Spiked Head

Description

Opening the spiked head census for the 2007 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial Cent, SKH-1c-2007-01 marks the first cataloged instance on one of the final dates in the Memorial Cent series. Gasparro's Memorial reverse would be replaced after 2008, making 2007 part of the penultimate year for this design that circulated since 1959. A spiked head develops when a die crack or chip near the top of Lincoln's portrait creates a channel through which metal flows upward under striking pressure, producing a raised protrusion extending beyond the normal head outline. On copper-plated zinc planchets, die deterioration progresses quickly, and Philadelphia's enormous annual output ensured numerous dies reached failure states each year. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, this variety is identifiable under magnification at the apex of Lincoln's head. As the inaugural entry for 2007, SKH-1c-2007-01 established the baseline for additional spiked heads later discovered on this near-terminal Memorial Cent date.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jay Dunn
• Cross reference: 03/22/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References