SKH-1c-1986-13 Spiked Head

Description

A reverse die crack indicated by a white arrow in reference imagery provides an important secondary diagnostic for SKH-1c-1986-13 on the 1986 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial cent. While the obverse spiked head — the defining feature — establishes this coin as a die crack variety, the accompanying reverse die crack (singular, as annotated) offers an additional attribution checkpoint that helps distinguish SKH-13 from adjacent entries in the fifteen-variety census. The distinction between a single reverse die crack here and the multiple reverse die cracks documented on SKH-12 is a meaningful differentiator: die crack patterns are as unique to each die as fingerprints, and the number, position, and morphology of cracks provide attributors with the evidence they need to assign specimens to specific catalog numbers. Cherry-pickers examining 1986-P spiked heads should flip the coin after identifying the obverse spike and check the reverse for die crack signatures — the presence or absence of reverse cracks, and their specific locations, can narrow the field of fifteen possible attributions considerably. The white arrow annotation system used in reference images standardizes how diagnostic features are communicated within the variety community. Struck at Philadelphia (no mint mark) on copper-plated zinc planchets (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper) at 2.5 grams and 19mm, from the 1986 mintage of 4,491,395,493 cents.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Andrew Hildebrant
• Cross reference: none. 01/26/2021.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References