SKH-25c-2021P-01(CD) Spiked Head

Description

A razor-thin die gouge extending from Washington's portrait gives this 2021-P Crossing the Delaware Quarter its "spiked head" designation, one of the more visually dramatic die defects on modern coinage. Cataloged under the Cuds on Coins reference system, the variety documents a raised spike of displaced metal protruding from Washington's head, created when a groove in the die surface transferred as a raised line onto struck coins. The Crossing the Delaware reverse depicts Washington's Christmas night crossing of the Delaware River in 1776 — a one-year-only design making 2021 quarter varieties inherently finite in number. Spiked head varieties occur when die damage or a striking event creates a narrow channel in the die face, and Philadelphia's high-speed production means even a briefly used damaged die could produce thousands of affected coins before detection. No additional cross-references have been published. Attribution requires identifying the specific orientation and length of the spike relative to Washington's profile, distinguishing it from other die gouges on 2021-P quarters.

Attribution History

• Discovered by David Bennett
• Cross reference: none. 04/28/2024.
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References