SKH-1c-2014D-02 Spiked Head

Description

Paired with the -01 entry, SKH-1c-2014D-02 completes the current known catalog of spiked heads from the 2014 Denver Mint Lincoln Shield Cent. Two documented die clash events from Denver stand in contrast to the twenty-five varieties cataloged for the 2014 Philadelphia Mint, a disparity that characterizes many dates in the Shield Cent series where P-mint spiked heads significantly outnumber D-mint examples. Whether this gap reflects genuine differences in clash frequency between the two facilities or simply less searching attention devoted to D-mint coins remains an open question in the variety community. The die clash mechanism is identical regardless of mint facility: when a press cycles without a planchet, the Union Shield reverse contacts the obverse die and transfers its geometric design — vertical lines representing the thirteen original colonies and a horizontal band — into the die face. Subsequent strikes produce coins with a raised spike on Lincoln's portrait. The D mintmark provides definitive facility attribution and distinguishes this variety from all Philadelphia-minted spiked heads. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins on September 17, 2016, approximately one month after the -01 entry, the rapid succession of these two discoveries suggests they may have been found during a concentrated period of 2014-D cent searching. Denver Mint spiked heads on Shield Cents represent an underappreciated collecting niche, offering lower competition for acquisition compared to the more heavily pursued Philadelphia varieties.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Earl M
• Cross reference: none. 09/17/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References