1997 (P) Washington Quarter - SKH-25c-1997P-05 Spiked Head

Description

Fifth spiked head documented on the 1997 Philadelphia Washington Quarter, where a die crack running into Washington's head creates a distinctive spike-shaped protrusion. Beyond the obverse anomaly, the reverse of this particular die pair reveals re-engraved feathers on the eagle's left wing, accompanied by a die crack indicated by collectors as "white arrows" pointing to the fracture path. Spiked head varieties are obverse die cracks running from the rim into the bust, which fill with metal during striking and form a raised spike on the struck coin. The re-engraved reverse feathers suggest that the Mint attempted to extend die life through localized reworking, a practice that sometimes introduced secondary anomalies. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins within the Washington Clad and Silver Proof Quarters 1965-1998 series. No independent cross-references have been established as of the February 2022 listing date, leaving this as a single-source attribution awaiting confirmation from CONECA or other variety organizations.

Cross References

• Cross reference: none. 02/07/2022.

External References