SKH-1c-1971D-07 Spiked Head

Description

Documented on June 8, 2017, SKH-1c-1971D-07 adds another entry to the growing catalog of spiked head varieties on the 1971-D Lincoln Memorial cent. By mid-2017 the catalog had reached at least seven entries, building toward the eventual total of twenty-one or more that would make this date a focal point for spiked head collectors. The die crack responsible for SKH-1c-1971D-07 originated at the same vulnerable location — Lincoln's head — but produced its own unique spike geometry. No two spiked heads from different dies are identical: each crack follows a path determined by the specific die's metallurgical grain structure, the distribution of microscopic flaws introduced during die manufacture, and the cumulative stress history from the die's service life prior to crack initiation. This individuality is what sustains the spiked head variety as a collecting category rather than a single curiosity — each die's crack tells a distinct story of failure. Attributed by Cuds on Coins, this variety can be distinguished from SKH-06 and SKH-08 by comparing the spike's angle of departure from the head, its length relative to the surrounding field, and any associated die fatigue markers that may have developed on the same working die during its production life.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jason Coplin
• Cross reference: none. 06/08/2017.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References