SKH-1C-2014-06 Spike Head

Description

Modern die varieties might lack the dramatic visual impact of classic errors like doubled dies or off-center strikes, but the SKH-1C-2014-06 Spike Head on the 2014 Lincoln Shield Cent demonstrates why subtle die chip varieties remain a vibrant collecting niche. This variety, cataloged by Cuds on Coins, is one of more than twenty spiked heads documented on 2014-dated Philadelphia Mint cents — each originating from a separate working die where a small chip developed in the steel surrounding Lincoln's portrait. The raised spike that results from this die chip is created during the striking process when planchet metal is forced into the void left by the missing die fragment, producing a distinctive metallic projection that appears on every coin struck from the damaged die. Spiked heads on Lincoln Shield Cents are identified and differentiated by the precise location and orientation of the spike relative to Lincoln's head and bust, since no two die chips fracture in exactly the same pattern. Cataloged as SKH-1C-2014-06, this variety contributes to a body of evidence showing that 2014 Philadelphia Mint cent dies were particularly susceptible to portrait-area chipping, making this date a focal point for collectors interested in die deterioration studies.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Earl M
• SKH-1C-2014-06
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References