1998 (P) Kennedy Half Dollar - SKH-50c-1998P-01 Spiked Head

Description

Opening the spiked head catalog for the 1998 Philadelphia Mint Kennedy Half Dollar, this inaugural entry documents a die crack that ran from the rim into the obverse portrait and produced a raised spike projecting from President Kennedy's portrait. Spiked heads on Kennedy Half Dollars form the same way as their Lincoln Cent counterparts: a crack opens in the obverse die between the rim and the bust, and metal filling the crack during striking shows as a raised line on the coin. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins under the cross-reference SKH-50c-1998P-01, this variety extends the spiked head phenomenon beyond its most commonly associated denomination (the Lincoln Cent) into the half dollar series. The 1998-P Kennedy Half Dollar was produced in copper-nickel clad composition during a period when half dollars were struck primarily for collector distribution rather than commercial circulation, with production volumes far lower than cent output. This reduced mintage means fewer die pairs were consumed and fewer obverse dies were in service to crack, making Kennedy Half Dollar spiked heads considerably scarcer than their cent equivalents. As the first and potentially only spiked head documented for the 1998-P date, SKH-50c-1998P-01 may represent a unique die event with limited availability.

Cross References

• SKH-50c-1998P-01

External References