SKH-10c-1954-02 Spike Head

Description

Second in the spiked head census for the 1954 Roosevelt silver dime, SKH-10c-1954-02 records an earlier-documented instance of die cracking on this mid-decade Philadelphia issue. The Cuds on Coins attribution service cataloged this variety using the standard format — SKH for spiked head, 10c for dime, 1954 for date, and 02 indicating the second identified example. Spiked head varieties on Roosevelt dimes result from a specific failure mode in the obverse die where the steel fractures at or near the boundary of the portrait's relief, generating a crack that fills with planchet metal under striking pressure and appears as a raised projection on the finished coin. John R. Sinnock's Roosevelt portrait features pronounced relief in the hair detail, ear, and jawline that concentrates stress in the surrounding die steel during the repeated compressive cycles of coin production. The 1954 date's silver composition (90% silver, 10% copper) struck relatively softly compared to clad coinage, but the Philadelphia Mint's output of approximately 114.24 million dimes still required extensive die rotation and replacement throughout the year. First documented on November 27, 2016, this variety predates the other 1954 spiked heads in discovery chronology, establishing the initial documentation that subsequent finds would expand. The die crack that produces a spiked head develops progressively — beginning as a hairline fracture invisible to striking quality, growing through the early stage where a thin spike appears, and potentially expanding into a more dramatic projection if the die remains in service. Collectors examining 1954 dimes for this variety should inspect the area immediately surrounding Roosevelt's profile under 10x magnification, comparing any raised anomalies against reference images to confirm they represent die-originated features rather than contact marks or planchet imperfections.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Juan Aguerre
• Cross reference: none. 11/27/2016.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References