SKH-1c-1971S-02 Spiked Head

Description

Cataloged as SKH-1c-1971S-02, this spiked head variety appears on the regular strike 1971-S Lincoln Memorial cent — a die deterioration phenomenon where a die crack or die break extending from Lincoln's head creates a spike-like protrusion rising above the portrait. Spiked head errors occur when stress fractures develop in the die steel at the high-relief junction where Lincoln's head meets the field, eventually producing a raised metallic fin on struck coins that projects upward from the scalp area. The Cuds on Coins attribution team documented this as the second spiked head variety for the 1971-S business strike date, distinguishing it from the first entry (SKH-1c-1971S-01) through differences in spike location, size, or angle. As noted in the cross-reference record from April 10, 2024, no external catalog cross-references have been established for this variety. The 1971-S business strike cents were produced at the San Francisco Mint during the period when that facility maintained dual production responsibilities — striking both circulation coinage and proof sets — and the volume of dies employed for the business strike run provided ample opportunity for the progressive die deterioration that generates spiked head formations. Among die break varieties, spiked heads occupy a distinctive niche because their dramatic visual appearance — a metallic projection from the president's head — makes them immediately recognizable without magnification, unlike the subtle hub doubling that characterizes many other Lincoln cent varieties from this era.

Attribution History

• Discovered by William (Bill) W
• Cross reference: none. 04/10/2024.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References