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

Description

From the inaugural year of the 50 State Quarters Program, this 1999 Philadelphia New Jersey State Quarter exhibits a spiked head variety created by a die crack extending from the nose of Washington's portrait. The crack propagated outward from the nose toward the rim, producing a raised line that gives Washington's profile a spike-like projection — the characteristic feature defining the spiked head error type. New Jersey was among the first five states honored in 1999 when the program launched, joining Delaware, Connecticut, Georgia, and Pennsylvania in a release schedule that continued through 2008. The program generated unprecedented public interest in coin collecting, with millions of Americans examining their pocket change for new designs, and spiked head varieties became one of the more recognizable anomalies that casual collectors could identify without magnification. Die cracks extending from facial features are relatively common on Washington Quarters because the portrait's high relief creates stress concentrations in the die steel, and the nose — as the most projecting element — is particularly susceptible. Documented by the Cuds on Coins project.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jeff Ylitalo
• Cross reference: none. 08/14/2017.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References