SKH-1d-USG-2011P-01 Spike Head

Description

Sharing the same die variety attribution as its Position A counterpart but distinguished by Position B edge lettering orientation, this Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Dollar spike head from the 2011 Philadelphia Mint demonstrates that the same obverse die clash could produce specimens with different edge configurations. Presidential Dollars feature incuse edge lettering applied in a separate operation after striking, and Position B indicates the lettering reads in the opposite orientation relative to the obverse compared to Position A. Both positions can occur with any given obverse die, so a spiked head created by a die clash event exists independently of the edge lettering orientation applied afterward. The spike head mechanism on Presidential Dollars mirrors that on cents: the reverse die — bearing the common Statue of Liberty design used across all Presidential Dollar reverses — contacts the obverse die without an intervening planchet, transferring raised detail that appears as a spike on Grant's portrait. A reverse die crack provides a secondary attribution marker. SKH-1d-USG-2011P-01 in Position B is cataloged by Cuds on Coins. The edge-lettered dollar series ran from 2007 through 2016, and spike head varieties documented across both edge positions offer collectors the opportunity to pursue complete position sets of individual die clash events.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Kellie Considine
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References