SKH-25c-2003P-01(AR) Spiked Head

Description

Cataloged on December 14, 2023, this sole documented spiked head on the 2003 Philadelphia Mint Arkansas State Quarter records a die clash event on the thirty-third reverse design in the 50 State Quarters program. Arkansas's reverse depicts a diamond shape — referencing the state's status as the only diamond-producing state in the nation — flanked by rice stalks and a mallard duck in flight, with the state's nickname "The Natural State" inscribed below. When this multi-element reverse clashed with the Washington obverse die during a planchet feed failure, the diamond and surrounding motifs transferred design elements that produced a raised spike on Washington's portrait. As the only known spiked head for the 2003-P Arkansas quarter, SKH-25c-2003P-01(AR) holds unique status within its state-and-mint combination. Sole-entry status can mean either that the design was relatively resistant to producing visible die clash artifacts, that production conditions in 2003 minimized feed failures, or simply that fewer collectors have systematically examined 2003-P Arkansas quarters for die varieties compared to more popular state issues. The December 2023 discovery date — twenty years after the coins were struck — illustrates that the State Quarters program still yields new variety discoveries two decades after the final 2008 issues. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins with no cross-references, this variety represents the Arkansas chapter in the state-by-state spiked head record and awaits potential future companion entries as examination of this date continues.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Philip Knoll
• Cross reference: none. 12/14/2023.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References