SKH-1c-1971D-27 Spiked Head

Description

Documented alongside SKH-26 on January 30, 2018, SKH-1c-1971D-27 on the 1971-D Lincoln Memorial cent represents the twenty-seventh spiked head variety attributed by Cuds on Coins for this date — a count that had already surpassed even the most generous expectations for a single date's spiked head productivity. The pairing with SKH-26 on the same documentation date indicates these two varieties were identified during a single examination session, further demonstrating the remarkable density of spiked head dies in the 1971-D die population. When twenty-seven distinct dies from a single production run develop the same type of failure at the same location on the design, the phenomenon transcends individual die anomaly and becomes a systematic production characteristic — a predictable outcome of subjecting Lincoln cent obverse dies to the volume demands of Denver's 1971 coinage program. No external cross-references have been recorded. The die crack producing SKH-27's spike initiated at the stress concentration around Lincoln's head and extended outward along a propagation path unique to this particular die's metallurgical structure. For collectors working through the 1971-D spiked head sequence, accurate attribution at entry twenty-seven requires the same discipline applied to all high-numbered entries: careful magnified comparison of the spike's angular bearing, radial length, and any secondary die deterioration features against the published catalog images.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Soren Rollin
• Cross reference: none. 01/30/2018.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References