SKH-1c-1971D-23 Spiked Head

Description

Twenty-third spiked head variety cataloged for the 1971-D Lincoln Memorial cent, SKH-1c-1971D-23 was documented by Cuds on Coins on January 10, 2018 — the same date as SKH-22, indicating both varieties were identified during a single examination session. Simultaneous discoveries of this kind are characteristic of focused variety searching through large accumulations of a high-mintage date, where a disciplined examiner systematically inspects each coin's obverse field around Lincoln's head for the telltale raised line that marks a spiked head. The 1971-D's mintage of approximately 2.91 billion coins generated an enormous surviving population in which undiscovered spiked head specimens continue to circulate, reside in collections, or sit in unsearched rolls and bags. Each spiked head die produced a distinct crack geometry determined by the individual die's metallurgical microstructure and accumulated stress history, ensuring that SKH-23 differs measurably from SKH-22 despite sharing the same documentation date and originating from the same production campaign at Denver. No cross-references to external attribution systems have been documented. Identification requires examining the spike's angle of departure from Lincoln's head and comparing it against the catalog photographs for varieties in the immediate sequence — SKH-22, SKH-24, and the broader 1971-D spiked head family.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Bob Byrd
• Cross reference: none. 01/10/2018.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References