SKH-1c-2023D-01 Spiked Head

Description

Among the most recent dates in the spiked head catalog, SKH-1c-2023D-01 on the 2023 (D) Lincoln Shield Cent demonstrates that die cracking in the portrait area remains an active phenomenon in contemporary Mint production. The 2023-D cent was struck using the latest generation of die steel and press technology available at the Denver Mint, and the appearance of a spiked head on this issue confirms that modern metallurgy and manufacturing processes have not eliminated the fatigue-driven cracking that produces this variety type. For collectors who build their spiked head sets chronologically, the 2023-D entry represents the advancing frontier of the catalog, a variety discovered and submitted to Cuds on Coins while the coins were still appearing in fresh rolls from Federal Reserve distribution. Newly cataloged varieties from recent dates carry an immediacy that older entries lack: the discoverer may have found the specimen within months of its production, compressing the usual gap between striking and documentation. Attributed by Cuds on Coins from Denver Mint production.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Louis A
• Cross reference: none. 11/13/2023.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References