SKH-25c-2003P-01(MO) Spiked Head

Description

Missouri's contribution to the State Quarter spiked head catalog is documented by SKH-25c-2003P-01(MO), first reported on January 23, 2018, on the 2003 Philadelphia Mint issue. Missouri's reverse design is among the most complex in the State Quarters program, depicting Lewis and Clark's return to St. Louis through the Gateway Arch with the Missouri River and the Lewis and Clark expedition's keelboat in the foreground. This elaborate multi-element design presents numerous geometric features that could transfer during a die clash, and the specific character of the resulting spike on Washington's portrait would reflect whichever portion of this intricate reverse design contacted the obverse die during the clash event. As the sole documented spiked head for the 2003-P Missouri quarter, this variety parallels the Arkansas entry from the same year — both are lone representatives of their respective state designs. The 50 State Quarters program released five state reverses per year, and 2003's roster (Illinois, Alabama, Maine, Missouri, and Arkansas) each generated its own complement of die varieties. Philadelphia's production across all five 2003 reverses consumed thousands of die pairs, yet Missouri yielded only a single confirmed spiked head. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins with no established cross-references, SKH-25c-2003P-01(MO) documents the die clash occurrence on what many consider one of the most artistically ambitious State Quarter reverse designs.

Attribution History

• Discovered by John Nugent
• Cross reference: none. 01/23/2018.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References