SKH-1c-1967-03 Spiked Head

Description

Recorded as SKH-1c-1967-03, this third spiked head variety for the 1967 Lincoln cent carries the Cohen Index cross-reference 67-64 and was documented on April 1, 2016. The 67-64 designation places it within the sixty-fourth spiked head grouping cataloged for the 1967 date, indicating that the population of documented spiked heads for this year extends well beyond sixty varieties — a remarkable count that reflects the intersection of massive die consumption and thorough specialist research. The Cohen Index numbering for 1967 spiked heads represents one of the most densely cataloged die deterioration populations in the entire Lincoln cent series, rivaled only by other high-mintage years where similarly enormous die populations generated correspondingly prolific deterioration varieties. The mechanics of spiked head formation are closely related to those of cud formation: both result from fatigue-driven fractures in the die steel, but while cuds occur at the die rim (where the die meets the collar), spiked heads develop in the interior of the die near the portrait cavity, where the dramatic depth variation between Lincoln's sculpted bust and the surrounding field creates localized stress concentrations. The 1967 cent was struck at the Philadelphia Mint during the final year of the Coinage Act of 1965 no-mint-mark era, with 3,048,667,100 business strikes. Attributed by Cuds on Coins. Struck on a 3.11-gram, 19mm planchet of 95% copper and 5% zinc.

Attribution History

• Discovered by JC Stevens
• Cross reference: Cohen Index 67-64. 04/01/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References