SKH-1c-1912D-01 Spiked Head

Description

Sole documented spiked head for the 1912 Denver Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent, SKH-1c-1912D-01 represents an early-date spiked head from just the fourth year of Victor David Brenner's Lincoln design. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins on April 1, 2017, and noted as not listed in the Cohen Index, this variety formed through a die clash event where reverse design elements from the wheat ears side transferred into the obverse die, producing a raised spike on Lincoln's portrait. The 1912-D cent is notable as an early Denver Mint Lincoln issue — Denver had only begun striking Lincoln Cents in 1911, the design's third year of production, and dies from this early period show characteristics of a relatively new design-and-facility combination still being optimized. Denver's cent production in 1912 was modest compared to Philadelphia's output, reflecting Denver's secondary mint status during this era. The wheat ears reverse introduced with the Lincoln Cent in 1909 featured relatively delicate design elements — two wheat stalks flanking the denomination — and when these elements clashed into the obverse die, the resulting spike tended to be fine and relatively subtle compared to the bold spikes produced by later designs with stronger reverse relief. Spiked heads from the 1910s decade are uncommon in the catalog compared to later periods, partly because fewer coins from this era survive in conditions suitable for variety examination and partly because collector scrutiny of these early dates has historically focused on other variety types such as repunched mint marks and die cracks. SKH-1c-1912D-01 stands as the lone representative of the spiked head phenomenon for its date and mint, documenting a die clash event that occurred over a century ago at Denver's facility.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Keith Christenson
• Cross reference number: Cohen Index Not Listed. 04/01/2017.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References