SKH-1c-2010-01 Spiked Head

Description

The first cataloged spiked head variety of the 2010 Philadelphia Lincoln Shield cent, SKH-1c-2010-01 carries special significance as an inaugural entry for a brand-new design series. The Lincoln Shield cent debuted in 2010 as the fourth and final reverse design in the Lincoln Bicentennial series, replacing the Memorial reverse that had defined Lincoln cents for 50 years; the Shield reverse introduced a vertical Union shield with thirteen stripes representing the original colonies, while the obverse retained the Brenner portrait. SKH-1c-2010-01 demonstrates that despite the design change and introduction of new dies, the mechanics of die deterioration and spiked head formation remained identical — a crack in the portrait zone produces a spiked head regardless of what appears on the reverse. As the first documented spiked head for the Shield cent series, this variety is notable both for its catalog position and as evidence that the new design brought no immunity to late-die-state phenomena.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Earl M
• Cross reference: none. 04/18/2017.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References