SKH-1c-1960D-04(LD) (LD) Spiked Head

Description

Sharing the CudsOnCoins designation SKH-1c-1960D-04(LD) with a November 24, 2023 documentation date, this spiked head variety appears on the 1960-D Lincoln Memorial Cent Large Date. The reference photographs note obverse die cracks marked with black arrows, which serve as secondary diagnostics alongside the spiked head itself. The Large Date attribution places this die in the earlier phase of Denver's 1960 cent production, before the mid-year hub change introduced the Small Date design. A spiked head forms when a die crack radiates from the top of Lincoln's portrait and fills with metal during striking, creating a visible raised spike on the finished coin. The additional obverse die cracks suggest advanced die deterioration, with the spike being one manifestation of broader structural failure in the die steel. No Cohen Index or other external cross-reference has been assigned, making the CudsOnCoins catalog the primary documentation source for this variety. The Large Date subtype's production volume was enormous, and the sustained use of individual dies under these conditions made spiked heads and other die crack varieties an inevitable byproduct of the manufacturing process.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Louis A
• Cross reference: none. 11/24/2023.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References