SKH-1c-1959-02 Spike Head

Description

Struck as a proof at the Philadelphia Mint in the inaugural year of Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial Cent reverse, this second documented spike head for the 1959 proof issue records a die fill variety from a historically significant transitional date. A spike head forms when foreign matter lodges in the die cavity near Lincoln's portrait, producing a raised spike of metal on the struck coin. The 1959 proof cent carries dual significance: first year of the Memorial reverse and first year the new reverse appeared in proof format, making die varieties from this date sought by both design-type collectors and proof specialists. Proof dies are manufactured with greater care, with polished surfaces and controlled striking conditions, yet the die fill mechanism can occur even in this refined environment. SKH-1c-1959-02 is cataloged by Cuds on Coins and is not listed in the Cohen Index. The transition from Wheat Ears to Memorial reverse in 1959 was only the second reverse design change in the Lincoln Cent series' fifty-year history, and proof die varieties from this debut year document the earliest production of the new type.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Bill Carr
• Cross reference number:  Cohen not listed. 01/22/2018.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References