SKH-1c-1960-06(LD) (LD) Spiked Head

Description

Recorded by Cuds on Coins with a cross-reference date of February 22, 2019, SKH-1c-1960-06(LD) is the sixth spiked head variety documented on the 1960 Lincoln Memorial Cent Large Date. The spiked head category encompasses die gouges and die cracks that extend from Lincoln's head on the obverse, producing a spike or horn-like projection from the portrait that is immediately recognizable to variety specialists. Each spiked head die exhibits its own unique spike morphology — varying in length, thickness, angle, and precise origin point on the portrait — and careful comparison against reference images is essential for distinguishing SKH-06 from the five other spiked head varieties cataloged on the 1960 Large Date. No additional cross-references have been assigned, meaning this variety is tracked exclusively through the Cuds on Coins catalog. The Large Date regular strike classification identifies this as a Philadelphia Mint die from the first production phase of 1960, before the hub transition to the Small Date design. The sheer number of spiked head varieties documented on the 1960 Large Date — at least seven — speaks to both the popularity of this collecting niche and the frequency with which working dies sustained the specific type of localized damage that produces the distinctive spiked projection.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• Cross reference number: none. 02/22/2019.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References