SKH-1c-1953D-01 Spiked Head

Description

Cross-referenced to the Cohen Index as 53D-64, this first documented spiked head for the 1953 Denver Mint Lincoln Wheat Cent records a die clash event from the mid-century peak of Wheat Cent production. The Cohen Index cross-reference ties this variety into the broader Lincoln Cent die variety classification system maintained independently from the Cuds on Coins spiked head catalog, providing dual attribution for collectors and researchers. A spiked head on a Wheat Cent forms through the same die clash mechanism found across the series: when the obverse and reverse dies contact each other without a planchet, elements of Victor David Brenner's wheat ears reverse transfer into the obverse die and manifest as a raised spike on Lincoln's head during subsequent strikes. Denver Mint cent production in 1953 was substantial, with the facility generating hundreds of millions of coins bearing the "D" mintmark. The 1953-D sits in the later Wheat Cent era, a period when die production had been refined over four decades of continuous Lincoln Cent manufacturing. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins on December 20, 2016, SKH-1c-1953D-01 stands as the sole documented spiked head for this date and mint, though additional varieties may await discovery as collectors continue searching through surviving Wheat Cent populations. The Denver Mint had been striking Lincoln Cents since 1911, and by 1953 the facility's production processes were highly optimized for this denomination.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Earl M
• Cross reference: Cohen Index 53D-64. 12/20/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References