SKH-1C-2016-08 Spike Head

Description

Sitting between the prolific 2014 and 2021 spiked head populations, the SKH-1C-2016-08 on the 2016 Lincoln Shield Cent represents the eighth documented portrait-area die chip for this Philadelphia Mint date. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, this variety belongs to a more modest sequence than the 22-plus spiked heads known for 2014, yet eight distinct die chip varieties for a single date still indicates meaningful die failure activity. The 2016 Lincoln Shield Cent was produced during a period when the Philadelphia Mint was striking cents without a visible mint mark — a practice that had been standard for Philadelphia-struck cents since the denomination's inception in 1793. Spiked heads on the 2016 date form through the same mechanism as any other year: a small chip separates from the die steel adjacent to Lincoln's incised portrait, creating a void that reproduces as a raised projection on struck coins. The "08" designation places this variety as one of several from 2016, but the count is notably lower than either the 2014 or 2021 totals, suggesting that whatever production variables contributed to the extreme spiked head frequency in those years were not as pronounced in 2016. This year-to-year variation makes comparative study of spiked head populations across dates a productive avenue for understanding die longevity factors in modern cent production.

Attribution History

• SKH-1C-2016-08
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References