SKH-1d-USG-2011P-01 Spike Head

Description

Documented on a Presidential Dollar honoring Ulysses S. Grant from the 2011 Philadelphia Mint in Position A orientation, this spike head variety extends the die clash phenomenon beyond Lincoln Cents into the distinctive edge-lettered dollar series. Presidential Dollars, struck from 2007 through 2016, featured a unique lettered edge carrying the date, mint mark, and motto — elements relocated from the coin's faces to maximize portrait and reverse design area. Position A refers to the orientation of edge lettering relative to the obverse, a diagnostic that collectors track carefully. The spike head forms through the same die clash mechanism as on cents: the obverse and reverse dies contact each other without a planchet between them, and design elements from the reverse transfer into the obverse die, producing a raised protrusion on subsequent strikes. On the Grant dollar, the reverse features the Statue of Liberty design common to all Presidential Dollar reverses, and elements of this design create the spike when clashed into Grant's portrait. A die crack on the reverse serves as a secondary die marker for attribution. SKH-1d-USG-2011P-01 is cataloged by Cuds on Coins. Spike heads on Presidential Dollars are considerably scarcer in die variety catalogs than their Lincoln Cent counterparts, making this Grant dollar a noteworthy cross-denomination example.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Kellie Considine
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References