SKH-1c-2016-14 Spiked Head

Description

Noted with an obverse die chip at the top of Lincoln's head, this fourteenth documented spiked head for the 2016 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Shield Cent records a die deterioration pattern that has been systematically tracked since the Wheat Cent era. A spiked head occurs when a die crack or die chip develops near the apex of Lincoln's portrait, and the resulting void fills with metal during striking to produce a raised spike or protrusion extending from the head. The die chip specifically at the top of the head noted in the comments identifies the precise mechanism — a small fragment of die steel broke away at the highest point of the design, creating the void that produced the spike. The 2016-P Lincoln Shield Cent was struck during the seventh year of the Shield reverse design introduced in 2010, and Philadelphia's massive cent production consumed hundreds of die pairs, each carrying the possibility of developing die cracks or chips at stress concentration points on the obverse die. Fourteen spiked heads documented for a single date demonstrates both the frequency of this die failure mode and the thoroughness of die variety researchers who examine modern Lincoln Cents. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins on August 30, 2018, this variety adds to the spiked head census that spans the entire Lincoln Cent series from 1909 to the present day, documenting a consistent form of die deterioration across more than a century of continuous production.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jon Rhodes
• Cross reference: none. 08/30/2018.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References