SKH-5c-2005P-02 Spiked Head

Description

A second spiked head variety on the 2005 Philadelphia Ocean in View Jefferson Nickel, SKH-5c-2005P-02 confirms that multiple working dies at Philadelphia developed portrait-area cracks during production of this Westward Journey issue. Two Philadelphia entries compared to one from Denver provides a data point about relative die failure rates, though the difference could reflect either production conditions or the extent of researcher examination. The Westward Journey Nickel program ran from 2004 through 2005, issuing four special reverse designs across two years to commemorate the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition's journey from St. Louis to the Pacific Coast. Joe Fitzgerald's Ocean in View reverse — the final design in the series — drew inspiration from Captain William Clark's November 7, 1805, journal entry recording his first sighting of the Pacific Ocean after eighteen months of overland travel. Spiked head varieties on these commemorative-circulation nickels appeal to collectors who value the historical significance of the Westward Journey program alongside die failure documentation. No additional cross-references are listed.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Jim Karnes
• Cross reference: none. 08/09/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References