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

Description

Cataloged on December 14, 2023, this spiked head on the 2003 Philadelphia Mint Arkansas State Quarter records a die crack on an issue of the 50 State Quarters program. Arkansas's reverse depicts a diamond shape — referencing Crater of Diamonds State Park — with rice stalks and a mallard duck flying above a lake. The spike is on the obverse, where a crack in the Washington die ran from the rim into the bust and 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 few of the 2003-P Arkansas obverse dies cracked this way 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.

Cross References

• Cross reference: none. 12/14/2023.

External References