1994 (P) Jefferson Nickel - SKH-5c-1994P-01 Spiked Head

Description

Spiked head varieties on Jefferson Nickels occur when a die crack develops at the top of Jefferson's head and propagates outward toward the rim, creating a raised spike or horn-like protrusion on struck coins — and SKH-5c-1994P-01 documents the first such variety cataloged for the 1994 Philadelphia issue. Recorded as Stage A (Stage 1 of 2), this specimen captures the die crack at an intermediate point where it stops in the nose area, before it would have extended further in its second and presumably later stage. The progression from Stage 1 to Stage 2 documents the crack's growth over the die's working life, as the fracture propagated with each successive strike. Spiked heads are a subset of die crack varieties specific to portrait coinage, where cracks emanating from the highest-relief point of the portrait (typically the crown of the head) create a visually striking spike that extends upward into the field. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins with the systematic SKH-5c designation and first documented on March 21, 2016, no other cross-references are currently known. The 1994 Philadelphia Jefferson Nickel was part of the Original Design series (1938-2003) featuring Felix Schlag's portrait, and the high relief of Jefferson's hair made this area particularly susceptible to die cracking under sustained production stress.

Cross References

• Cross reference: none. 03/21/2016.

External References