SKH-1c-2001-02 Spiked Head

Description

Marking the second documented die clash variety for the 2001 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Memorial Cent, SKH-1c-2001-02 was cataloged by Cuds on Coins on May 27, 2022, over two decades after the coins were originally produced. The gap between production and documentation is typical for mid-range Memorial Cent dates that lack the celebrity status of the 1995-P or the early-series historical interest of the 1959-1960 issues. The 2001-P cent entered circulation during a year of significant national events, and its production volume — billions of coins from the Philadelphia Mint — ensured that numerous die pairs were employed throughout the year's coining schedule. Die clashes occur when the press cycles without a planchet, allowing the obverse and reverse dies to make direct contact. The Lincoln Memorial reverse, with its twelve columns and detailed architectural rendering, impresses into the obverse die face during these unintended contacts, creating a raised spike on Lincoln's portrait that distinguishes each spiked head variety. Two cataloged entries for the 2001-P suggest that the date has received only moderate searching attention, and additional spiked heads may await discovery in the vast pool of 2001-P cents still circulating or stored in collector inventories. The second entry's unique spike characteristics — position, angle, and length — differentiate it from the -01 variety, confirming that two separate die pairs experienced clash events during the year's production. Collectors pursuing early twenty-first century Memorial Cent spiked heads will find that dates like 2001-P offer less competition for discoveries compared to the heavily searched 1990s dates.

Attribution History

• Discovered by David Ramsey
• Cross reference: none. 05/27/2022.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References