SKH-1c-1955-01 Spiked Head

Description

Sharing a date with the most famous doubled die in American numismatics — the 1955 DDO-001 Lincoln Wheat Cent — this inaugural spiked head for 1955 carries a Cohen Index cross-reference of 55-5 and was documented by Cuds on Coins on March 24, 2016. The Cohen Index placement connects this spiked head to Jerry Cohen's comprehensive classification system for Lincoln Cent die varieties, providing researchers with an independent attribution pathway. The spiked head on a 1955 Wheat Cent forms through die clash mechanics: when the obverse and reverse dies contact each other without a planchet, elements of the wheat ears reverse transfer into the obverse die, producing a raised protrusion from Lincoln's portrait. The fame of the 1955 doubled die has driven more collector examination of 1955-P cents than virtually any other Wheat Cent date, and this intense scrutiny has uncovered die varieties across every error category — including spiked heads. As the first documented spiked head for 1955, SKH-1c-1955-01 establishes the base entry for die clash varieties on this legendary date. The 1955 cent was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in the standard bronze composition, and production that year also famously included the inadvertent release of approximately 20,000 to 24,000 dramatically doubled die coins that would become one of the most recognized errors in the hobby. While the spiked head is a far more subtle variety than the DDO, its association with the 1955 date ensures collector interest that transcends the variety's individual merit.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross reference number: Cohen Index 55-5. 03/24/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References