1909 VDB Lincoln Wheat Cent Spiked Head

Description

This 1909 VDB Lincoln Wheat Cent displays a Spiked Head variety where a die crack extends from the back shoulder of Lincoln's bust downward to approximately the 6:30 position on the rim. Spiked Head varieties are caused by die cracks that emanate from the high-relief portrait area, creating the appearance of a spike or protrusion extending outward from Lincoln's head or shoulders. On Lincoln Cents, these cracks typically originate from stress points where the deeply engraved portrait creates concentrated pressure during the striking process, promoting metal fatigue and eventual crack propagation through the die steel. The 1909 VDB Lincoln Wheat Cent, designed by Victor David Brenner, was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc at 3.11 grams and 19.05 mm diameter. The VDB initials on the reverse lower rim were famously removed after public outcry about their prominence, making the 1909 VDB a key date with a mintage of 27,995,000. The shoulder-to-rim crack path on this specimen follows the natural stress distribution radiating from the high-relief portrait toward the rim, where die metal was thinnest and most susceptible to fracture. Spiked Head varieties are particularly popular with collectors because the protruding crack creates a visually dramatic effect that is easily identifiable even without magnification on well-preserved specimens.