1996 (P) Washington Quarter - SKH-25c-1996P-08 Spiked Head

Description

Eighth documented spiked head for the 1996 Philadelphia Mint Washington Quarter, this variety was cataloged on December 26, 2017, by Cuds on Coins. By the eighth entry, the 1996-P was already establishing itself as one of the more prolific dates for quarter spiked heads, a trajectory that would eventually reach at least nineteen documented varieties. The December 2017 date places this discovery within the early phase of intensive 1996-P research, following the first entries recorded earlier that year. Spiked heads are die cracks — a crack opens in the obverse die and runs from the rim into Washington's bust, and planchet metal filling it during striking appears as a raised protrusion on Washington's portrait. On the copper-nickel clad quarters struck at Philadelphia, such cracks can form at any point during a die's service life as the steel fatigues. Eight documented spiked heads represents eight separate obverse dies that each cracked into the bust during the 1996 production year. No cross-references to other attribution services exist for this variety. The 1996-P quarter, struck on the standard 5.67-gram clad planchet at 24.3mm diameter, was among the last issues before the State Quarters program revolutionized quarter collecting. Collectors who systematically search through 1996-P quarters may encounter any of the nineteen documented spiked head varieties, with identification requiring careful comparison of spike position and die markers against the Cuds on Coins catalog.

Cross References

• Cross reference: none. 12/26/2017.

External References