SKH-25c-1999P-02(GA) Spiked Head

Description

Georgia was the fourth coin released in the fifty-state quarter program that began in 1999, and this spiked head variety — SKH-25c-1999P-02(GA) — documents the second cataloged spike on the 1999-P Georgia issue. A spiked head occurs when a die crack extends outward from Washington's portrait, typically radiating upward from the top of the head in a spike-like projection that is unmistakable under magnification. The Georgia quarter's reverse, designed by T. James Ferrell, depicts a peach with the state outline, live oak branches, and the motto "Wisdom, Justice, Moderation." This coin also exhibits a die crack on the reverse running from the left banner of WISDOM to the rim, indicating that both the obverse and reverse dies were experiencing stress-related deterioration during the same production run. The "(GA)" suffix in the catalog code denotes the specific state design, distinguishing this from spiked heads on other 1999 quarter issues like Delaware, Connecticut, New Jersey, or Pennsylvania. Philadelphia's 1999 Georgia quarter production was substantial, and the presence of multiple spiked head varieties confirms the expected rate of die cracking across a high-volume run.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John Nugent
• Cross reference: none. 09/05/2017.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References