SKH-10c-1920-01 Spiked Head

Description

First spike head variety documented for the 1920 Mercury dime by Cuds on Coins, SKH-10c-1920-01 captures a die crack projection on Adolph A. Weinman's Winged Liberty Head design during a year when Philadelphia struck approximately 59.03 million dimes. The 1920 date falls in the early production years of the Mercury dime series (1916-1945), a period when the Mint was still refining its die preparation techniques for Weinman's high-relief design — one of the most artistically ambitious American coin designs of the early twentieth century. Weinman's Liberty wears a Phrygian cap adorned with wings, symbolizing liberty of thought, and the cap's elevated relief creates stress concentrations in the die steel that make the head area particularly susceptible to the radial cracking that produces spike head varieties. Cross-reference documentation shows no other attribution services had listed this variety as of July 25, 2019, when it was cataloged. The "01" suffix indicates this remains the sole documented spike head for the 1920 Philadelphia Mercury dime, which may reflect either limited die crack occurrences on this date or incomplete census coverage. Spike heads on Mercury dimes are prized by collectors for their visual drama — the spike emerges from an already complex head design featuring the wings, cap folds, and hair detail, creating an immediately recognizable anomaly. Authentication requires distinguishing the spike from post-strike damage or environmental deposits: a genuine spike head displays metallic luster consistent with the coin's surface, flows naturally from the die crack path, and appears on every coin struck from that die in the same position and orientation.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Angel L Villanueva
• Cross reference: none. 07/25/2019.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References