SKH-1c-1991-12 Spiked Head

Description

Reported on June 9, 2020, SKH-1c-1991-12 of the 1991 Lincoln Memorial cent was discovered more than 29 years after the coin was minted — a timeline that speaks to the ongoing scrutiny that Lincoln cent varieties receive from dedicated searchers. The discovery arc for 1991-P spiked heads spans from 2016 (when the first variety was reported) through 2024 (when the nineteenth was documented), meaning that new spiked head dies continue to surface decades after the coins entered circulation. This extended discovery window reflects several realities of variety searching: the 1991 Philadelphia Mint produced hundreds of millions of cents, distributing them across the country in quantities that guarantee unchecked coins remain in rolls, bags, and accumulations awaiting examination. As variety awareness grows through online forums, attribution websites, and social media groups, more collectors learn to recognize spiked heads and begin examining their own holdings, expanding the effective search population. The twelve varieties reported by mid-2020 seemed substantial, yet seven more would follow over the next four years, demonstrating that the 1991-P spiked head census remained far from complete even after years of concentrated searching. Struck at Philadelphia on copper-plated zinc planchets composed of 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper, weighing 2.5 grams and measuring 19mm.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Marvin L
• Cross reference: none. 06/09/2020.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References