1996 (P) Kennedy Half Dollar - SKH-50c-1996P-03 Spiked Head

Description

Third spiked head for the 1996 Philadelphia Mint Kennedy Half Dollar, this variety brings the 1996-P date to a notable count for a denomination where spiked heads are far less frequently documented than on Lincoln Cents. On a Kennedy Half Dollar the spike is a crack in the obverse die that runs from the rim into the bust of Gilroy Roberts's portrait of President Kennedy, creating a raised spike or horn-like projection from Kennedy's profile. Three spiked heads documented for a single Kennedy Half Dollar date indicates that at least three obverse dies cracked this way during the 1996-P production run, a meaningful count given the half dollar's relatively modest production volumes compared to cents. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins under the cross-reference SKH-50c-1996P-03, this variety extends into the mid-1990s a catalog of Kennedy Half Dollar spiked heads that documents these die cracks across the denomination's production history. The 1996-P Kennedy Half Dollar was struck in copper-nickel clad composition during a period when half dollar production served primarily collector and institutional demand rather than everyday commerce, as the denomination had largely disappeared from retail transactions.

Cross References

• SKH-50c-1996P-03

External References