SKH-1c-1988-05 Spiked Head

Description

Cataloged on April 14, 2017, SKH-1c-1988-05 rounds out the documented spiked head inventory for the 1988 Philadelphia Lincoln Memorial cent at five varieties. Five spiked heads from a single date-and-mint combination represents a substantial count for this category, reflecting both the massive production volume of over six billion 1988-P cents and the vulnerability of the obverse die design to crack formation around Lincoln's high-relief portrait. The spiked head phenomenon is not unique to 1988 — it has been documented across virtually every year of the Lincoln Memorial series from 1959 through 2008 — but the concentration of five examples in a single year's Philadelphia production illustrates how high-speed, high-volume striking accelerates die fatigue in predictable locations. Each of the five 1988-P spiked heads entered the catalog between late 2016 and mid-2017, a burst of documentation activity that likely reflects one or more variety specialists conducting focused searches of 1988-P rolls during that period. The sequential numbering (SKH-1c-1988-01 through -05) establishes a permanent reference framework that collectors and dealers use when buying, selling, or attributing these varieties. Struck on copper-plated zinc planchets (97.5% zinc, 2.5% copper) at 2.5 grams and 19mm.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jessica Turner
• Cross reference: none. 04/14/2017.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References