1996 (P) Washington Quarter - 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 crack variety records a crack running from the rim into Washington's bust on the obverse die, 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 obverse dies cracked this way with moderate regularity during 1996-P production, consistent with the mechanical realities of high-speed coining over billions of striking cycles. Each of the four documented spiked heads represents a unique die crack on a different obverse die, producing spikes with distinct positional characteristics that distinguish them from one another. 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.

Cross References

• Cross reference: none. 02/14/2017.

External References