SKH-25c-1997P-02 Spiked Head

Description

Second spiked head cataloged for the 1997 Philadelphia Mint Washington Quarter, this variety was recorded on January 4, 2018, by Cuds on Coins and joins the growing die clash documentation for the penultimate year of the original Flanagan design before the State Quarters program launched in 1999. Two spiked heads for 1997-P represents a modest but meaningful catalog — each entry documents a unique die pair that experienced a clash event where the obverse and reverse dies made contact without an intervening planchet. The heraldic eagle reverse transferred its design elements into the obverse die, and the resulting impression appeared as a raised spike projecting from Washington's portrait on coins struck after the clash occurred. The 1997-P quarter was produced in quantities sufficient for circulation demand during a year when the forthcoming State Quarters program was already generating anticipation among collectors and the numismatic press. This anticipation would soon translate into the largest sustained increase in coin collecting participation in American history, but in 1997 the standard Washington reverse was still being struck in the time-honored manner. No cross-references to other attribution services have been identified for SKH-25c-1997P-02. The distinction between this variety and the -01 entry lies in the specific spike characteristics: position on Washington's head, angle of projection, length, and any accompanying die markers that uniquely identify the die pair involved in the clash event.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Pietro Terranova
• Cross reference: none. 01/04/2018.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References