SKH-1c-2016D-03 Spiked Head

Description

Three spiked head dies from a single date-and-mint combination is a meaningful cluster that invites questions about whether particular production conditions at the Denver Mint during 2016 may have contributed to a higher incidence of portrait-area die cracking. SKH-1c-2016D-03 on the 2016 (D) Lincoln Shield Cent represents the third distinct die to develop this failure mode, and while three examples do not constitute a statistically significant sample in isolation, they contribute to a broader dataset that researchers can analyze across years and facilities. Factors that could elevate die crack rates include increased striking pressure settings, higher-than-normal production speeds, subtle changes in die steel heat treatment, or simply the natural variation inherent in any industrial process involving thousands of hardened steel tools. The 2016-D cent was produced in quantities exceeding three billion, requiring a correspondingly large die population and multiplying the opportunities for individual dies to develop portrait-area fractures. Cataloged and attributed by Cuds on Coins.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Philip Knoll
• Cross reference: none. 09/24/2020.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References