SKH-25c-1999P-03(GA) Spiked Head

Description

Third in the sequence of documented spiked heads on the 1999 Philadelphia Mint Georgia State Quarter, this variety was cataloged on October 9, 2017, by Cuds on Coins — among the earlier discoveries for this die clash series. The Georgia reverse, designed as part of the inaugural year of the 50 State Quarters program, features a peach, the outline of the state of Georgia, live oak branches, a banner with the state motto, and the date of statehood. When this reverse die clashed with the obverse during a planchet feed failure, its design elements transferred into the obverse die and created a raised spike on Washington's portrait. The specific character of each spiked head — its position, angle, and length on Washington's profile — depends on the exact alignment and force of the die-to-die contact at the moment of the clash, making every entry diagnostically unique. The 1999 State Quarters generated extraordinary public interest, launching a collecting phenomenon that ultimately engaged an estimated 140 million Americans in quarter collecting over the program's ten-year run. This massive public engagement drove demand for high production volumes at both Philadelphia and Denver, consuming large numbers of die pairs and making die clash events statistically inevitable across the enormous production runs. Three documented spiked heads for the Georgia Quarter reflects the early stage of die variety research on this design, and subsequent discoveries expanded the catalog considerably. State Quarter spiked heads from 1999 carry the added collectible appeal of first-year-of-program status.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Pietro Terranova
• Cross reference: none. 10/09/2017.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References