SKH-1C-2014-08 Spike Head

Description

Documented by Cuds on Coins as the eighth spiked head variety on the 2014 Lincoln Shield Cent, the SKH-1C-2014-08 reflects a production year where die chip varieties in the portrait region were remarkably common at the Philadelphia Mint. Spiked heads are a subset of die chip errors specific to the area around a coin's portrait — on Lincoln Cents, the spike typically projects from the head, hat area (on earlier designs), or bust truncation, creating a pointed raised feature visible under low magnification. The diagnostic value of spiked heads lies in their uniqueness: because each die chip fractures along different crystallographic planes in the die steel and at different locations relative to the design, every spiked head variety has a distinct profile that allows reliable attribution. The SKH cataloging system used by Cuds on Coins assigns sequential numbers within each date, and reaching number 08 for 2014 demonstrates how thoroughly this date has been examined by variety specialists. On zinc-core copper-plated Lincoln Cents, the contrast between the raised copper-colored spike and the surrounding design detail makes spiked heads relatively easy to spot during searching, contributing to the large number of reports from circulation finds and roll searching.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Earl M
• SKH-1C-2014-08
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References