SKH-1c-2014-18 Spiked Head

Description

Eighteenth documented spiked head variety on the 2014 Philadelphia Lincoln Shield Cent, SKH-1c-2014-18 exhibits the characteristic raised spike projecting from Lincoln's head, accompanied by additional die anomalies including an interior die break (IDB) crack on the reverse, the spike head itself, and a die crack above the eye on the obverse. The combination of three distinct die anomalies on a single coin — spiked head, reverse IDB crack, and obverse die crack above the eye — makes this specimen particularly interesting from a die failure analysis perspective, as it documents multiple stages of die deterioration occurring simultaneously or in rapid succession. Spiked heads form when a die gouge or crack channels metal upward during striking, creating a projection from the portrait that can sometimes be identified without magnification. Eighteen spiked heads cataloged for a single date demonstrates how thoroughly researchers have examined Shield Cent production from the 2014 Philadelphia operations. Cross-referenced as SKH-1c-2014-18 within the Cuds on Coins catalog, which tracks spiked heads alongside cuds, BIEs, and retained interior die breaks, this variety provides collectors with a multi-feature die failure specimen from the modern Shield Cent era that began in 2010.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• Cross reference: SKH-1c-2014-18.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References