SKH-1c-1950S-01 Spiked Head

Description

San Francisco operated as the smallest cent-producing facility among the three active Mints during the early 1950s, and its lower output translates directly into greater scarcity for die varieties struck there. SKH-1c-1950S-01, carrying Cohen Index 50S-57, records the first cataloged spiked head die for the 1950-S Lincoln Wheat Cent. With S-mint production running well below Philadelphia and Denver volumes, fewer coins were struck from each die, and the surviving population of any variety is correspondingly smaller. The spiked head — a raised projection from Lincoln's portrait caused by a progressive die crack — forms through the same fatigue mechanism at all three mints, but S-mint specimen scarcity makes locating confirmed examples more challenging. Cohen 50S-57 provides systematic attribution distinguishing this die from other spiked head varieties on the 1950-S issue. For specialists assembling cross-mint comparisons, this S-mint entry represents the most elusive of the three mint marks due to San Francisco's modest production figures.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross reference number: Cohen Index 50S-57. 03/26/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References