SKH-25c-1999P-04(CT) Spiked Head

Description

Cataloged by Cuds on Coins with no other known cross-references (documented February 16, 2022), this spiked head variety appears on the 1999-P Connecticut State Quarter, part of the State Quarters 1999-2008 series. Spiked head varieties on Washington Quarters result from die cracks that radiate outward from the top of Washington's head on the obverse, creating a spike-like protrusion that extends from the hair or wig into the field above. This particular specimen is the fourth documented spiked head variety (designation 04) for the 1999-P Connecticut issue. The obverse die crack extends from the rim to the edge of Washington's wig, tracing a path that creates the characteristic spike appearance. On the reverse, a die crack is noted (referenced as "white arrows" in the documentation), indicating that the reverse die was also experiencing deterioration — a common scenario since die cracking on one die often correlates with a die pair that has been in extended service. The 1999-P Connecticut State Quarter was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in copper-nickel clad composition (8.33% Ni, 91.67% Cu outer layers over a pure copper core), weighing 5.67 grams with a diameter of 24.3 mm. The Connecticut reverse, designed by T. James Ferrell, features the Charter Oak tree. The State Quarters program generated enormous collector interest and a surge in variety collecting, and spiked head varieties became one of the most popular error types to seek across the 50-state series. John Flanagan's obverse portrait of Washington, with its detailed wig and hair rendering, provides the specific design area where spiked head die cracks manifest.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Pete Apple
• Cross reference: none. 02/16/2022.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References