SKH-1c-2020-06 Spiked Head

Description

How spiked heads appear in differently composed coin planchets is a subtle but meaningful variable for variety researchers, and the zinc-core copper-plated composition of modern Lincoln cents shapes the visual signature of varieties like SKH-1c-2020-06 in specific ways. The copper plating, typically around 2.5 percent by weight on a modern cent, creates a surface layer that can influence how a metal-filled die crack presents under light. The zinc core, being softer and more reactive, fills the die cavity differently than a solid copper planchet would, and the resulting spike may show a slightly different surface texture or reflectivity than it would on a pre-1982 copper cent. For the 2020 (P) Lincoln Shield Cent, this compositional reality is simply the standard operating environment—all examples of SKH-1c-2020-06 are struck on the same modern planchet type, making composition a constant rather than a variable for attribution purposes, but an important factor for understanding why the spike looks and photographs as it does.

Attribution History

• Discovered by William (Bill) W
• Cross reference: none. 05/08/2024.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References