2021 (P) Lincoln Shield Cent - SKH-1c-2021-09 Spiked Head

Description

Coin orientation on the press and the resulting relationship between die geometry and spike location is a technical factor that variety researchers consider when studying spiked heads like SKH-1c-2021-09. Lincoln cents are struck with medal alignment, meaning the obverse and reverse dies are oriented so that the top of Lincoln's portrait aligns with the top of the reverse design when both sides are viewed right-side up. The location of a spike on the obverse—whether at the crown, the back of the head, above the ear, or near the cap line—is determined by where the die crack formed, not by press orientation, but the consistent medal alignment of Lincoln cents means that spike positions are reproducible and predictable across all specimens struck from a given die state. For SKH-1c-2021-09, that positional consistency is what allows researchers to match a candidate coin against the catalog entry: the spike must appear in precisely the documented location to confirm attribution.

Cross References

• Cross reference: none. 06/13/2022.

External References