SKH-1c-2013-01 Spiked Head

Description

First documented spiked head for the 2013 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Shield Cent, SKH-1c-2013-01 establishes the baseline entry for die clash varieties on this date. A spiked head on a Shield Cent forms through a specific die clash mechanism: when a planchet fails to feed between the dies during high-speed production, the obverse and reverse dies strike each other directly. The bold relief of the Union Shield reverse impresses into the obverse die surface, and subsequent coins struck from that clashed die display a raised spike projecting from Lincoln's head — typically from the forehead, crown, or back of the portrait depending on the precise alignment at the moment of clash. The 2013-P cent was produced in Philadelphia at a facility that has been in continuous operation since 1792, making it the oldest mint in the United States. As the founding entry for the 2013-P spiked head catalog, SKH-1c-2013-01 demonstrates that die clash events were occurring from at least the early portion of the year's production run. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, this variety joins a growing registry of Shield Cent spiked heads that spans every year since the design's 2010 introduction. Collectors who pursue first-in-sequence varieties value the -01 designation as the initial documented example for its date.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Earl M
• Cross reference: none. 07/25/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References