SKH-1c-1964-03 Spiked Head

Description

Completing the final spiked head pair in this batch, SKH-1c-1964-03 in its regular strike form was produced at the Philadelphia Mint as part of the 1964 business strike output of 2,648,575,000 Lincoln cents. A spiked head is a die deterioration variety where a crack or chip in the die near Lincoln's portrait creates a raised spike-like protrusion on the struck coin. The formation mechanism is straightforward: the enormous pressures of the coining process — exceeding 40 tons per strike — gradually weaken the hardened die steel through metal fatigue, and when a small fragment finally fractures and separates, the resulting void in the die face fills with planchet metal during each subsequent strike. The spike appears as a raised feature on the coin, projecting from Lincoln's head in a direction and shape determined by the geometry of the die damage. Cross-referenced as Cohen Index 64-55 with a documentation date of 01/26/2021, matching the proof companion listing. The relatively recent documentation date of 2021 underscores that the 1964 Lincoln cent — despite being one of the most heavily studied dates in the series — continues to yield new variety discoveries as collectors and researchers examine fresh populations of coins from original rolls, bags, and collections that enter the market. The 1964 date's record-breaking mintage means that vast quantities of uncirculated cents remain in storage, providing an ongoing source of potential new discoveries for variety specialists. Attributed by Cuds on Coins. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint on a 95% copper, 5% tin-zinc planchet weighing 3.11 grams at 19mm diameter.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Steve Young
• Cross reference: Cohen Index 64-55. 01/26/2021.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References