SKH-1c-1953S-03 Spiked Head

Description

Only two more years of San Francisco cent production remained after 1953, making S-mint Wheat Cent varieties from this period among the last before the facility's cessation of cent coinage following 1955. SKH-1c-1953S-03, cataloged as Cohen Index 53S-76, records the third spiked head die for the 1953-S issue. The raised spike from Lincoln's head is the remnant of a progressive die crack at the high-stress transition zone where portrait relief meets the field, allowing planchet metal to be forced upward during striking. San Francisco's diminishing cent production means fewer coins were struck overall, and die varieties from these final S-mint years survive in smaller numbers than comparable P or D varieties. Cohen 53S-76 reflects a substantial catalog number, indicating thorough documentation of 1953-S die pairs. Collectors focused on late-era S-mint Wheat Cents recognize these issues as a closing chapter in San Francisco's cent production history, lending added significance to each documented variety.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Nolan Workman
• Cross reference number: Cohen Index 53S-76. 03/18/2018.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References