SKH-25c-1996P-04 Spiked Head

Description

Fourth documented spiked head for the 1996 Philadelphia Mint Washington Quarter, SKH-25c-1996P-04 was cataloged by Cuds on Coins on February 14, 2017. This die clash variety records the transfer of heraldic eagle reverse detail into the obverse die during a feed failure, creating a raised spike projecting from Washington's portrait. The 1996-P quarter occupies an interesting position in Washington Quarter numismatics — it was produced three years before the State Quarters program launched, during a period when quarter collecting was relatively quiet compared to the frenzy that would erupt with the 1999 Delaware quarter. Four spiked heads for this date suggests that die clash events occurred with moderate regularity during 1996-P production, consistent with the mechanical realities of high-speed coining operations where planchet feed failures are statistically inevitable over billions of striking cycles. Each of the four documented spiked heads represents a unique die clash event on a different obverse die, producing spikes with distinct positional characteristics that distinguish them from one another. The Flanagan eagle reverse, with its spread-winged eagle, shield, olive branch, and arrows, contains substantial raised design elements that leave clear impressions during clash events — the wing tips, in particular, can produce pronounced spikes when their detail transfers to the obverse die at locations near Washington's portrait. No cross-references beyond the Cuds on Coins catalog are noted, reflecting the specialized and relatively recent nature of systematic spiked head documentation on the quarter denomination. The February 2017 catalog date places this discovery within a period of active spiked head research across multiple denominations.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Andrew Wojtowich
• Cross reference: none. 02/14/2017.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References