SKH-25c-1994P-03 Spiked Head

Description

Third spiked head documented on a 1994 Philadelphia Mint Washington Quarter, this variety was cataloged on February 17, 2020, by Cuds on Coins, extending the die clash documentation for a date that falls in the mature years of the original Flanagan design. By 1994, the Washington Quarter had been in continuous production for over sixty years, and the Mint's experience with this design translated into efficient die production and press operation — yet die clashes remained an inevitable byproduct of high-speed coining. When a planchet feed mechanism fails momentarily, the obverse and reverse dies strike each other directly, and the bold heraldic eagle reverse leaves an impression in the obverse die that appears as a raised spike on Washington's portrait in subsequent strikes. Three documented spiked heads for 1994-P indicates that multiple clash events were identified by collectors examining this date's production output. The -03 suffix distinguishes this entry from the other two known spiked heads on 1994-P quarters through differences in spike position, angle, and associated die markers that fingerprint the specific die pair involved. No cross-references to other attribution systems have been recorded for this variety. Collectors examining mid-1990s quarters in roll searches occasionally encounter spiked head varieties, and the consistent documentation by Cuds on Coins provides a framework for identifying and reporting new discoveries across the pre-State Quarter Washington series.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Shane Daniel
• Cross reference: none. 02/17/2020.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References