SKH-50c-1996P-01 Spiked Head

Description

First cataloged spiked head variety for the 1996 Philadelphia Mint Kennedy Half Dollar, SKH-50c-1996P-01 documents a die crack that extends from the rim into President Kennedy's head, creating a distinctive spike-like protrusion on the portrait. Spiked head varieties form when a radial die crack propagates inward from the rim and crosses into the head area of the obverse design, allowing metal to flow into the crack during striking and producing a thin raised line that appears to project from the head like a spike or horn. The visual effect is unmistakable on well-struck examples and has made spiked head varieties popular among error collectors for their dramatic appearance. This variety belongs to the Kennedy Half Dollars Clad and Silver Proof series that has continued since 1971, with the clad Philadelphia business strikes being produced in large quantities for circulation and collector sets. Identifying this variety requires locating the raised line extending from the rim into Kennedy's portrait and confirming it corresponds to the documented die crack position for the -01 designation in the Cuds on Coins spiked head catalog.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jason Coplin
• Cross reference: none. 09/28/2021. Cross reference: none. 12/09/2021. Cross reference: none. 01/05/2022.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References