SKH-1c-1996D-01 Spiked Head

Description

Opening the spiked head catalog for the 1996 Denver Mint Lincoln Memorial Cent, SKH-1c-1996D-01 documents the first confirmed portrait-area die crack from Denver's 1996 production. The -01 designation establishes this entry as the pioneer variety for the date-mint, the reference against which all future 1996-D spiked head submissions will be compared to confirm uniqueness. Denver Mint cent production in 1996 ran into the billions, requiring a large die population consumed and replaced throughout the year as individual dies reached their fatigue limits. When a die develops a crack through the portrait area, striking pressure forces planchet metal into the fissure, producing the raised spike that gives the variety its name. The spiked head phenomenon is not confined to any particular region of Lincoln's portrait—spikes have been documented projecting from the forehead, crown, and back of the head—and the specific location and trajectory of this spike defines its catalog identity. Attributed and cataloged by Cuds on Coins from Denver Mint production.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Robert Oney
• Cross reference: none. 03/20/2024.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References