SKH-1c-2008-01 Spiked Head

Description

As the inaugural spiked head cataloged for 2008 — the final year of Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial reverse — SKH-1c-2008-01 opens the die variety record for a historically significant date. The Memorial design, which had graced Lincoln cents since 1959, ended its forty-nine-year run after the 2008 production year, making every 2008 variety a last-of-type entry. The following year brought the four-design Bicentennial program (Birth and Early Childhood, Formative Years, Professional Life, and Presidency), and 2010 introduced the Shield reverse that continues today. First-in-sequence catalog numbers carry a certain distinction: somebody examined a 2008 cent, identified the characteristic raised spike from a portrait-rim die crack, and submitted the first formal report to Cuds on Coins for that year. The copper-plated zinc composition, 19mm diameter, and 2.5-gram weight were all carryovers from 1982 specifications, and Philadelphia continued producing cents without a mintmark. This variety stands at the intersection of die mechanics and design history — a spiked head struck in the Memorial reverse's swan song year.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Vivien Bullard
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References