2014 (P) Lincoln Shield Cent - SKH-1C-2014-11 Spike Head

Description

Cataloged as SKH-1C-2014-11 by Cuds on Coins, this spiked head variety is a portrait-area die chip on the 2014 Lincoln Shield Cent from the Philadelphia Mint. The Lincoln Shield Cent's obverse design, featuring the familiar right-facing portrait of Abraham Lincoln adapted by sculptor Lyndall Bass from Victor David Brenner's original 1909 model, presents collectors with a profile rich in fine detail — the hair texture, cheekbone, and coat collar all create areas where die steel is carved to varying depths during hub-to-die transfer. These depth variations establish stress concentrators in the die, and under the cyclic loading of high-speed striking, small fractures inevitably develop at the most stressed points. When a fracture releases a chip near Lincoln's head, the resulting spiked head variety is born.

Cross References

• SKH-1C-2014-11

External References