2018 (P) Lincoln Shield Cent - SKH-1c-2018-01 Spiked Head

Description

A spiked head variety cataloged for the 2018-P Lincoln Shield cent, SKH-1c-2018-01 represents a portrait-area crack variety among the billions of cents Philadelphia produced that year. The spiked head phenomenon results from die deterioration in the incuse portrait area of the obverse die. Victor David Brenner's design renders Lincoln's hair, forehead, and profile as a complex series of raised and recessed elements in the die, and the narrow die steel ridges separating these features are mechanically the weakest points in the die face. Under the cyclic loading of high-speed striking — Philadelphia's presses operate at speeds exceeding 700 strikes per minute — metal fatigue causes these ridges to crack, creating channels that fill with planchet metal during subsequent strikes. The filled channel appears as a thin raised spike extending from Lincoln's head on finished coins, and the position and direction of this spike serve as the primary diagnostic for identifying the specific working die involved. Lyndall Bass's Union Shield reverse completes the coin's design context. Collectors should examine Lincoln's portrait under 10-15x magnification, looking for the telltale thin metallic projection that distinguishes a spiked head from normal design contours.

Cross References

• Cross reference: none. 04/17/2018.

External References