1952 Roosevelt Dime - SKH 001

Description

Cataloged as SKH-001, this 1952 Roosevelt Dime exhibits a spiked head variety — a die crack or die gouge extending from the top of Roosevelt's head like a protruding spike. Spiked heads occur when a radial die crack develops from the high-relief area of the portrait outward, or when a die gouge is incised during die preparation or maintenance. The resulting raised line on struck coins creates the visual impression of a spike or antenna projecting from the president's head. Struck in 90% silver at the Philadelphia Mint, this coin dates from the early years of John R. Sinnock's Roosevelt Dime design, introduced in 1948. Both obverse and reverse show strong die deterioration, indicating the die was reaching the end of its service life when the spiked feature became most prominent. While spiked head varieties are somewhat common across the Roosevelt Dime series — the portrait's high relief makes it a natural stress point for die cracks — the SKH-001 designation as the sole cataloged spiked head for 1952 suggests this example is particularly well-defined. Collectors of Roosevelt Dime die varieties specifically seek out spiked heads as a distinct error category.

Die Markers

• This dime has strong die deterioration on the obverse and reverse which makes sense given that the die split so heavily.