SKH-1C-1940S-02 Spike Head

Description

Cataloged by Cuds on Coins and cross-referenced as SKH-1C-1940S-02 with the notation Cohen Index Not Listed, this second spike head variety for the 1940 San Francisco Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent documents a die clash event on a pre-war date that predates the Shield Cent era where spiked heads became most prolific. Spiked heads on Wheat Cents form through the same basic mechanism as their Shield Cent counterparts: the obverse and reverse dies contact each other without a planchet during coining, and elements from the reverse design transfer into the obverse die, producing a raised spike or protrusion from Lincoln's head on subsequent strikes. However, the Wheat Cent reverse — with its wheat ears, inscriptions, and horizontal lines — creates different clash impression patterns compared to the bold geometric Union Shield design. The 1940-S cent was struck at the San Francisco Mint during the pre-war period, when this facility served the western United States' circulating coinage needs. San Francisco's cent production in 1940 was substantial, and the Cohen Index Not Listed notation indicates this particular spike head has not been cataloged in all major reference works. Two spiked heads documented for the 1940-S reflects the relatively sparse spiked head documentation for pre-Shield Cent dates — the variety type received far less systematic attention on Wheat and Memorial Cents compared to the dedicated research programs that emerged around Shield Cent spiked heads beginning in 2010. The 1940-S date carries no exceptional historical distinction among Wheat Cents, making this spike head a representative example of die clash events occurring during routine pre-war production at San Francisco.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Earl Williams
• SKH-1C-1940S-02; number: Cohen Index Not Listed. 05/15/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References