SKH-25c-1983P-01 Spiked Head

Description

Opening the spiked head catalog for the 1983 Philadelphia Mint Washington Quarter, this founding entry documents the first recorded die clash variety on a date that saw significant cent and quarter production at the Philadelphia facility. The 1983-P quarter holds particular numismatic distinction as part of the era when proof production shifted exclusively to the San Francisco Mint, leaving Philadelphia and Denver as the sole producers of circulation strikes. A spiked head materializes when the obverse and reverse dies make contact without an intervening planchet — a feed failure during high-speed coining operations. The reverse's heraldic eagle, olive branch, and perimeter lettering create sufficient relief to leave transferred impressions in the obverse die, which then manifest as a raised spike or projection from Washington's bust on subsequently struck coins. The precise location and angle of each spike varies with the alignment of the dies at the moment of clash, making each documented entry unique. Cataloged on October 24, 2017, by Cuds on Coins, this variety carries no known cross-references to other attribution services. As the sole entry (-01) for 1983-P, it may represent either the only die clash event that has been examined for this date or simply the first to be formally reported, with additional examples potentially awaiting discovery among the millions of 1983-P quarters that remain in circulation and collections across the country.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Pietro Terranova
• Cross reference: none. 10/24/2017.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References