SKH-1c-2018-04 Spiked Head

Description

Fourth spiked head variety documented for the 2018-P Lincoln Shield cent, SKH-1c-2018-04 catalogs a die crack event within the early portion of the 2018 spiked head census for Philadelphia's cent production. The progression from SKH-01 through SKH-04 for a given year typically reflects the chronological order in which varieties were reported to the Cuds on Coins attribution service, though discovery order does not necessarily correlate with the die's production sequence at the Mint. Spiked heads on Lincoln Shield cents originate from the same mechanical process that has produced these varieties since the cent's inception in 1909: fatigue cracking in the die steel surrounding the incuse Lincoln portrait. The narrow ridges of tool steel between design elements — hair strands, facial contours, and the profile outline — represent stress concentration points where metal fatigue initiates fracture under the cyclic loading of high-speed coining operations. Once a crack opens, each subsequent strike forces planchet metal into the fissure, building up the characteristic raised projection on finished coins. Philadelphia's production of approximately 4.22 billion cents in 2018 created a vast pool of potential die crack varieties, and the seven documented spiked heads for this date likely represent only the most prominent examples discovered and reported by variety hunters. The 2018 cent bears Victor David Brenner's obverse portrait paired with Lyle Okerlund's Union Shield reverse, continuing the design format adopted in 2010 to honor Lincoln's role in preserving the Union. Spiked head varieties on Shield cents carry the same visual drama as their wheat and Memorial cent predecessors — the unexpected metallic projection from a president's portrait immediately catches the eye and invites closer examination. Collectors attributing their specimens to SKH-04 should compare the spike's precise position on Lincoln's head, its angular direction, and its approximate length against published reference images from the Cuds on Coins service.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Amy Antone
• Cross reference: none. 06/23/2019.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References