SKH-25c-1994P-01 Spiked Head

Description

First and sole documented spiked head for the 1994 Philadelphia Mint Washington Quarter, SKH-25c-1994P-01 was cataloged by Cuds on Coins on May 3, 2017. As a die clash variety on the quarter denomination, this entry records the transfer of heraldic eagle reverse detail into the obverse die during a planchet feed failure, producing a raised spike on George Washington's portrait. The 1994-P quarter was struck during the closing years of the original Washington Quarter reverse design — only four years remained before the State Quarters program would introduce the first of fifty unique reverse designs in 1999. Flanagan's heraldic eagle reverse, in continuous service since 1932, featured design elements with substantial relief — wings, shield, arrows, and olive branch — capable of creating pronounced clash impressions in the obverse die. As the sole spiked head for this date, the -01 designation indicates either limited die clash occurrence during 1994-P production or limited collector examination of the date, since spiked heads can only be documented when specimens are found and reported. The absence of additional cross-references beyond the Cuds on Coins entry reflects the specialized nature of spiked head cataloging on quarters, a field that has received less systematic attention than equivalent research on Lincoln Cents. Quarter spiked heads differ from cent spiked heads in their reverse source design — the eagle reverse creates different clash transfer patterns than the Memorial, Shield, or wheat ears reverses that generate spiked heads on cents — making cross-denominational comparison of spike morphology an interesting area of study for die variety researchers exploring the relationship between reverse design geometry and clash transfer characteristics.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Andrew Wojtowich
• Cross reference: none. 05/03/2017.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References