SKH-1d-1976S-01 Spike Head

Description

First in the spiked head census for the Bicentennial Eisenhower dollar, SKH-1d-1976S-01 documents a spiked head variety on the 1976-S Proof Clad Type 2 issue — the large-format dollar coin that honored President Dwight D. Eisenhower and served as America's last circulating large dollar. The Bicentennial Eisenhower dollar, dated 1776-1976, featured Frank Gasparro's obverse portrait of Eisenhower paired with Dennis R. Williams' special reverse depicting the Liberty Bell superimposed against a lunar landscape, commemorating both the nation's 200th anniversary and the Apollo 11 moon landing. The Type 2 designation refers to the sharper, more refined lettering variety used for later 1976 production, distinguished from the Type 1's bolder, blockier lettering style. Spiked head varieties develop when a die crack or chip forms at the upper boundary of the portrait's incuse cavity in the die, creating a raised protrusion extending above the normal contour of the subject's head on struck coins. For the Eisenhower dollar, this spike would extend upward from the top of Eisenhower's head in an area near the rim. San Francisco produced proof Eisenhower dollars in both silver and clad compositions for collector sets during the Bicentennial period, with the clad proof sets seeing substantial production to meet collector demand for the special commemorative coinage. The proof striking process — using polished dies and specially prepared planchets — can actually make spiked head varieties more visible than on business strikes, as the mirror-finish fields provide high contrast against any anomalous raised metal from die deterioration. Collectors examining 1976-S proof clad Type 2 Eisenhower dollars should look for a raised projection extending from the crown of Eisenhower's head, checking under 5-10x magnification for the spike that distinguishes this die from normal specimens.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Greg Bowyer
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References