2017 (P) Lincoln Shield Cent - SKH-1c-2017P-02 Spiked Head

Description

This die crack variety, a spiked head for the 2017 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Shield Cent, was documented early — on June 7, 2017, within months of the coins entering circulation. A secondary die marker in the form of a die crack on the reverse provides additional attribution support beyond the primary spiked head feature. The spike is a standard die crack: during high-speed coining operations, a crack opened in the obverse die and ran from the rim into Lincoln's bust. Planchet metal filling the crack creates a raised protrusion from Lincoln's portrait on subsequent strikes. The 2017-P cent carries a special distinction as the first Philadelphia Mint cent to bear a P mint mark — previously, Philadelphia coins carried no mint mark, but the Mint added the P beginning in 2017 to commemorate the 225th anniversary of the U.S. Mint's founding. 2017-P spiked heads mark the intersection of die variety attribution with a mint mark policy change. The reverse die crack noted as a secondary marker indicates that this die pair experienced more than one fracture — the obverse crack that produced the spike and a separate crack in the reverse die surface. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, the rapid documentation of this variety within months of production demonstrates the modern die variety community's capacity for near-real-time cataloging.

Cross References

• Cross reference: None noted. Die Crack on reverse. 06/07/2017.

External References