SKH-1c-2018-01 Spiked Head

Description

First spiked head variety cataloged for the 2018-P Lincoln Shield cent, SKH-1c-2018-01 holds the lead position in the die crack census for this date and represents the initial discovery of a portrait-area crack variety among the billions of cents Philadelphia produced that year. As the first documented spiked head for 2018-P, this variety was likely among the earliest specimens examined by variety hunters searching through newly released coinage — a process that typically begins within weeks of a new year's coins entering circulation. The spiked head phenomenon results from die deterioration in the incuse portrait area of the obverse die. Victor David Brenner's design renders Lincoln's hair, forehead, and profile as a complex series of raised and recessed elements in the die, and the narrow die steel ridges separating these features are mechanically the weakest points in the die face. Under the cyclic loading of high-speed striking — Philadelphia's presses operate at speeds exceeding 700 strikes per minute — metal fatigue causes these ridges to crack, creating channels that fill with planchet metal during subsequent strikes. The filled channel appears as a thin raised spike extending from Lincoln's head on finished coins, and the position and direction of this spike serve as the primary diagnostic for identifying the specific working die involved. Philadelphia struck approximately 4.22 billion cents in 2018, consuming thousands of obverse dies throughout the production year. The SKH-01 designation means this was either the most prominent or earliest-reported spiked head for the date, though the catalog number does not necessarily indicate relative prominence or rarity. Lyle Okerlund's Union Shield reverse completes the coin's design context. Collectors should examine Lincoln's portrait under 10-15x magnification, looking for the telltale thin metallic projection that distinguishes a spiked head from normal design contours.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jon Rhodes
• Cross reference: none. 04/17/2018.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References