SKH-1c-1951-02 Spike Head

Description

Discovering spike head varieties requires systematic searching — for proof issues like this 1951 Lincoln Wheat Cent, collectors examine coins preserved in original proof sets or third-party grading holders, looking for the telltale raised projection from Lincoln's portrait that signals a die crack variety. Cataloged as SKH-1c-1951-02 in the Cuds on Coins registry and cross-referenced as Cohen Index 51-72, this represents a second documented spike head die for the 1951 proof production, distinct from SKH-1c-1951-01. Each spike head die produces a projection with a unique combination of position, angle, and length, meaning searchers must compare their find against published diagnostics to determine which specific die struck their coin. The discovery process for proof spiked heads differs from business strikes: proof coins survive in higher average grades and are more frequently examined under magnification by their owners, increasing the probability that subtle die crack varieties will be noticed and reported to variety registries. Cohen Index 51-72 places this die within the broader catalog of 1951 Lincoln Cent varieties. Philadelphia Mint proof production, on specially prepared polished planchets. The 1951 proof Lincoln Wheat Cent was produced during the second year of resumed proof coinage, a period when collector interest in proof sets was growing steadily from the modest numbers of the 1950 resumption.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross reference number: Cohen Index 51-72. 03/25/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References