SKH-1c-1973D-08 Spiked Head

Description

Attributed just eleven days after the seventh entry, SKH-1c-1973D-08 was documented by the Cuds on Coins team on June 21, 2021. No external cross-references exist. The remarkably short interval between the -07 and -08 attributions (June 10 vs. June 21, 2021) suggests either that a single collector submitted multiple finds from a batch of 1973-D cents being searched during that period, or that two independent searchers happened to submit new varieties nearly simultaneously. This rapid succession is unusual in the spiked head attribution record, where entries are typically separated by weeks or months. Eight documented spiked head varieties for a single date-mint combination places the 1973-D cent among the most thoroughly cataloged dates for this variety class. The underlying mechanism remains consistent across all entries: cyclic mechanical stress from repeated die impacts concentrates at the deepest recess of the obverse die — Lincoln's portrait apex — until the accumulated fatigue damage nucleates a crack that propagates toward the die face. Each die's individual metallurgical characteristics determine the exact path the crack follows, producing spikes with distinct geometries that serve as fingerprints for attribution purposes. SKH-1c-1973D-08's spike parameters — its emergence point, projection angle, length, and width — differ measurably from those of the seven prior entries, confirming it as the product of an eighth distinct die. Collectors should examine the top of Lincoln's head under at least 5x magnification when searching for this and other spiked head varieties.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Patrick (Mike) Winstead
• Cross reference: none. 06/21/2021.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References