SKH-1c-1945D-03 Spiked Head

Description

Third in the documented sequence of spiked heads for the 1945-D Lincoln Wheat Cent, this business strike variety was cataloged the same day as SKH-1c-1945D-02, indicating a burst of research activity that identified multiple die fill errors from this date simultaneously. A spiked head forms when foreign matter becomes trapped in the die cavity near Lincoln's portrait, causing a raised spike of metal on the struck coin. The 1945-D was produced at the Denver Mint in brass shell case alloy during the final year of wartime cent composition. Denver's enormous output during 1945 demanded many die pairs, and each die carried a statistical chance of accumulating debris that could produce a spiked head. SKH-1c-1945D-03 is cataloged by Cuds on Coins and is not listed in the Cohen Index. The concentration of three documented spiked heads from a single date and mint — all absent from the Cohen Index — demonstrates the depth of cataloging that specialized online references have achieved beyond traditional print resources. Collectors pursuing spiked head varieties distinguish each by the spike's position, angle, and length relative to Lincoln's portrait.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross reference number: Cohen Index Not Listed. 01/29/2017.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References