SKH-1c-2021-05 Spiked Head

Description

Grading implications extend beyond the standard Sheldon scale when it comes to spiked heads, and SKH-1c-2021-05 illustrates how a variety can interact with conventional grade assessment in nuanced ways. Major third-party grading services evaluate a coin's technical grade—strike, surface preservation, luster, and eye appeal—without penalizing legitimate die varieties. A spiked head, being a die-produced characteristic rather than post-mint damage, does not reduce the technical grade of the coin; if anything, the variety marker may enhance the coin's desirability in the variety market regardless of its Sheldon grade. However, if a spike is positioned prominently near the portrait, some graders may note it in the slab comments, and the degree of wear the spike itself shows can serve as a secondary die-state indicator. For the 2021 (P) Lincoln Shield Cent, an example of SKH-1c-2021-05 in high mint-state condition is more desirable than a circulated example both for its grade and for the clarity with which the spike presents.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jody Taylor
• Cross reference: none. 01/05/2022.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References