SKH-1c-1976-01 Spiked Head

Description

Documented as SKH-1c-1976-01 by Cuds on Coins with a documentation date of February 22, 2022, this spiked head variety was discovered on 1976 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Memorial cents. Spiked head errors represent a distinctive category of die damage in which a chip, gouge, or crack in the die surface near Lincoln's portrait creates a raised spike or protrusion on struck coins. The projection typically extends from the top of Lincoln's head, though spikes can emerge from other points on the portrait depending on the precise location and orientation of the die damage. The error is popular among collectors both for its visual appeal and its evocative name — the "spike" can resemble a horn, antenna, or crown rising from Lincoln's profile, making it one of the more photogenic error types in the series. The Cuds on Coins catalog system assigns spiked head varieties their own prefix (SKH), distinguishing them from standard die chips (DC) and rim cuds (CU). No additional cross-reference numbers from other attribution services have been assigned to SKH-1c-1976-01. The Philadelphia Mint produced its 1976 cents without a mint mark from the 95% copper composition, and the Bicentennial celebrations of that year did not affect the Lincoln cent's design or production process. The February 2022 documentation date indicates this variety was formally cataloged relatively recently, though collectors may have been aware of spiked head examples on 1976 Philadelphia cents for years before a specific specimen was submitted for attribution. Attribution by Cuds on Coins.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Greg Bowyer
• Cross reference: none. 02/22/2022.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References