1887 Indian Head Cent Die Clash and Spiked Head

Description

Combining two distinct error types on a single coin, this 1887 Indian Head Cent displays both a die clash and a spiked head — each arising from different failure mechanisms. The die clash manifests as a transferred C visible in front of the eye, produced when obverse and reverse dies struck together without a planchet. This contact impressed part of the reverse inscription into the obverse die surface, leaving a raised incuse C on subsequent strikes. The spiked head is a die crack running through the 7 in the date and extending into the Indian's head, producing a thin raised line or spike that gives the variety its name. Die cracks develop from accumulated striking stress, and their path through the date into the portrait creates a visually striking feature easily identified without magnification. The dual-error nature means attribution requires confirming both the clash remnant and the die crack independently. The 1887 Indian Head Cent was struck at Philadelphia when the design, introduced in 1859, was approaching its final decades of production before replacement by the Lincoln Cent in 1909. Additionally, the coin exhibits a "Spiked Head" feature, which is a die crack or die gouge running from the base of the bust eastward through the digit 7 in the date to the rim.