SKH-25c-1999P-05(CT) Spiked Head

Description

Fifth documented spiked head variety for the 1999 Philadelphia Mint Connecticut State Quarter, this variety displays a spike or horn-like projection extending from Washington's head on the obverse, caused by a die gouge or crack that creates a channel filling with metal during striking. The (CT) suffix identifies this as occurring on the Connecticut issue, the fourth coin released in the 50 State Quarters program that launched in 1999. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins with no known cross-references (dated 06/19/2024), the reverse also shows a die crack noted with "black arrows" in the reference documentation, indicating the reverse die was developing its own stress fractures simultaneously with the obverse spiked head. Spiked head varieties on State Quarters attract strong collector interest because the program's enormous popularity — the 50 State Quarters initiative drew an estimated 147 million new collectors according to the U.S. Mint — created a vast audience familiar with these coins. The 1999 State Quarters launched the program with Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut, and the Philadelphia Mint produced hundreds of millions of each design. Five documented spiked heads for the Connecticut issue alone reflects the intensive die usage during this inaugural year of what became the most successful coin program in U.S. Mint history.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Sonja Sheldon
• Cross reference: none. 06/19/2024.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References