SKH-1c-2016-17 Spiked Head

Description

Seventeenth spiked head variety documented for the 2016-P Lincoln Shield cent, SKH-1c-2016-17 records a die deterioration crack on Philadelphia's high-volume cent production during the seventh year of the Union Shield reverse design. Spiked heads on Lincoln cents result from fine cracks that develop in the incuse portrait area of the obverse die — the recessed channels that form Lincoln's hair, forehead, and profile in the die face are surrounded by narrow ridges of die steel that are susceptible to fatigue fracturing under repeated striking cycles. When a crack opens in this area, planchet metal flows into the gap during striking, creating a thin raised projection — the "spike" — that extends outward from Lincoln's head on the finished coin. The Shield cent reverse, designed by Lyle Okerlund and introduced in 2010, features a Union shield with horizontal lines representing the original thirteen colonies and vertical stripes symbolizing national unity, replacing Frank Gasparro's Lincoln Memorial design that had served since 1959. Philadelphia's cent production in 2016 reached approximately 4.67 billion pieces, a colossal output requiring thousands of obverse and reverse working dies that inevitably produced numerous die crack varieties. Seventeen documented spiked heads for a single year and mint reflects the scale of Philadelphia's operations and the sustained attention of variety hunters who systematically examine rolls and bags of fresh cents. Each spiked head variety is distinguished by the spike's position on Lincoln's profile, its angle of projection, and its length — characteristics determined by the unique crack that developed on each individual working die. The Cuds on Coins attribution service catalogs these varieties to build a comprehensive record of die deterioration patterns across the Lincoln cent series, and collectors can identify specific SKH numbers by comparing their specimen's spike characteristics against published reference images under 10-15x magnification.

Attribution History

• Discovered by William (Bill) W
• Cross reference: none. 07/31/2024.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References