SKH-1c-2021-16 Spiked Head

Description

Sixteenth documented spiked head variety for the 2021 Philadelphia Mint Lincoln Shield Cent, SKH-1c-2021-16 displays a die crack or die chip extending from Lincoln's head that creates the appearance of a spike or horn projecting from the portrait. Spiked head varieties form when a small die crack develops near the top or side of Lincoln's head on the obverse die, and the resulting fissure or detached fragment creates a raised protrusion on the struck coin. The visual effect ranges from subtle hair-like projections to dramatic horn-like spikes depending on the severity and angle of the die failure. Sixteen spiked heads from a single date indicates the high volume of die pairs consumed in 2021 cent production at Philadelphia and the systematic documentation efforts of Cuds on Coins, who cataloged this variety on July 4, 2023. An additional diagnostic feature noted on this specimen is a reverse die crack indicated by the cataloger's notation. The Lincoln Shield Cent, introduced in 2010 with Lyndall Bass's Union Shield reverse, replaced the four-year run of bicentennial reverse designs from 2009. Shield Cents are struck on copper-plated zinc planchets, a composition in use since 1982 that produces different die stress characteristics than the earlier solid bronze or copper-nickel compositions. No independent cross-references have been established for this variety.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Thomas DeHart
• Cross reference: none. 07/04/2023.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References