SKH-10c-1950S-01 Spiked Head

Description

First spiked head variety identified for the 1950-S Roosevelt dime, SKH-10c-1950S-01 captures a die crack deterioration event at San Francisco during the early years of John R. Sinnock's dime design. San Francisco struck approximately 20.44 million Roosevelt dimes in 1950, one of the lower mintages in the series and a date that commands premiums in uncirculated grades due to the limited quantity of surviving mint-state specimens. The 1950-S holds particular numismatic significance as a semi-key date in the Roosevelt dime series, where the combination of modest mintage and heavy circulation attrition has reduced the available supply of high-grade examples. Spiked heads develop when a fine crack forms in the die's incuse portrait cavity — the channel that creates Roosevelt's hair, ear, or profile on struck coins — and the resulting void fills with metal from the planchet during each press cycle, projecting a thin raised spike from the portrait. As the first and only spiked head documented for the 1950-S date (indicated by the 01 designation), this variety may represent an unusual die that was kept in service longer than normal or developed a crack early in its production life. The proof-exclusive S-mint dimes would not begin until 1968, so all 1950-S Roosevelt dimes are business strikes produced for circulation. First cataloged on July 17, 2017, by the Cuds on Coins service with no cross-references, this variety combines the appeal of a semi-key date Roosevelt dime with the collectible interest of a die deterioration variety. Collectors searching for SKH-10c-1950S-01 should examine Roosevelt's head under 10-15x magnification, noting that the lower mintage means fewer specimens exist overall, potentially making this spiked head more challenging to locate than equivalent varieties on higher-mintage dates.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Juan Aguerre
• Cross reference: none. 07/17/2017.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References