SKH-1c-1971D-17 Spiked Head

Description

Seventeenth spiked head variety for the 1971-D Lincoln Memorial cent, SKH-1c-1971D-17 was documented on December 29, 2017, continuing a discovery sequence that added at least seven new entries to the catalog during the final weeks of that year. Attributed by Cuds on Coins, this variety further extends a catalog whose sheer size — seventeen entries and still growing at the time of documentation — distinguishes the 1971-D as perhaps the single most productive date for spiked head varieties in the Lincoln Memorial cent series spanning 1959 to 2008. Each entry represents a separate obverse working die that developed a fatigue crack at or near the apex of Lincoln's head during active service, producing a raised spike on every coin struck after the crack reached the die surface. The collecting significance of SKH-1c-1971D-17 lies both in its individual identity — defined by the crack's unique geometry and any associated die markers — and in its membership within this exceptional family of varieties. For specialists who track spiked heads across multiple dates, the 1971-D catalog offers an unmatched case study in how a single failure mode can recur across dozens of dies manufactured to the same specifications and employed under similar production conditions at a single Mint facility.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Bob Byrd
• Cross reference: none. 12/29/2017.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References