United States: 1804 copper Draped Bust half cent, "Spiked Chin" variety

Discussion in 'US Coins Forum' started by lordmarcovan, Jan 28, 2026.

  1. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic numismatist Moderator

    United States: 1804 copper Draped Bust half cent, "Spiked Chin" variety

    PCGS XF40. Cert. #44307721.

    Numista-16948, Krause-Mishler-33.

    Mintage: 1,055,312 (for all 1804 varieties combined).

    Ex-David Lawrence Rare Coins, Inventory #696898, 27 February 2022. Purchased in the slab.

    I love the Draped Bust US coins from the late 1700s and the first decade of the 1800s. This particular 1804 half cent is of the "Spiked Chin" variety. I previously owned a PCGS VF20 example of this variety, but sold it around 2013. So this current XF40 example represents an upgrade over the previous coin. I just like this variety.

    Per Ron Guth on PCGS Coinfacts:

    "The 1804 Spiked Chin Half Cent is an interesting variety caused when damage occurred to an obverse die, resulting in a sharp, spike-like projection jutting out from Liberty's chin. The Spiked Chin itself is considered a die state, because examples from the same obverse die are known without the damage. However, the Spiked Chin obverse was used in combination with more than one reverse, so it is also known as a die variety. The Spiked Chin Half Cent is fairly common, but it commands a premium because of its listing as a major variety in most (if not all) price catalogs."

    I've read speculation that the foreign object that caused the damage to the die might have been a metal screw, which resulted in the spike-like protrusion from Liberty's chin and also the parallel striations seen in the right obverse field, which I mistook for a fingerprint the first time I saw them on my previous coin. These striations are in the metal, and are actually a feature seen on most Spiked Chin half cents, so they're certainly not a fingerprint. Perhaps they were caused by the threads on the screw that damaged the die, if in fact that was the sort of object that caused the anomaly.


    01-frame.jpg 02-Trueview.jpg 03-obv.jpg 04-rev.jpg 05-slab.jpg

    055000
     
    lordmarcovan, Jan 28, 2026
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  3. dwhiz

    dwhiz Collector Supporter

    Nice coin, not only is the chin spiked but Lady Liberty is sticking out her tongue.:eek:
     
    dwhiz, Jan 28, 2026
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  4. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic numismatist Moderator

    It does look like that, doesn't it? LOL :p
     
    lordmarcovan, Jan 28, 2026
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  5. longnine009

    longnine009 Darwin has to eat too. Supporter

    She can "chin-butt" her rival first, then stick her tounge at them. :troll:
     
    longnine009, Jan 28, 2026
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  6. Mr.Q

    Mr.Q Well-Known Member

    She taunts you with her tongue then stick you with her knife. Smart lady, nice coin I like it!
     
    Mr.Q, Jan 28, 2026
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  7. Clawcoins

    Clawcoins Damaging Coins Daily

    Another great coin.

    I have one myself, though of much lower quality.
    I had to have a Half Cent for my early US coin set.
    upload_2026-1-28_14-9-25.png
     

    Attached Files:

    Clawcoins, Jan 28, 2026
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  8. SensibleSal66

    SensibleSal66 U.S Casual Collector / Error Collector

    I want one. Forget the Golden Goose, :p.
     
    SensibleSal66, Jan 28, 2026
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  9. Eduard

    Eduard Supporter**

    That is a nice example of the Spiked Chin/protruding tongue half cent.

    This is my example:

    1804 Half Cent - Spiked Chin - OBV - REV - September 4 2025.png
     
    Eduard, Jan 30, 2026
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  10. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic numismatist Moderator

    Note those same parallel striations in the right obverse field near the rim on @Eduard’s coin. Just like on mine.

    So you see, they’re a feature of this variety. But I can probably be forgiven for thinking that was a fingerprint the first time I saw the anomaly on my previous coin. It sort of looks like one at first glance, doesn’t it?
     
    lordmarcovan, Jan 30, 2026
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  11. Collecting Nut

    Collecting Nut Borderline Hoarder

    Looks like mine, almost.
     
    Collecting Nut, Jan 30, 2026
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  12. ksparrow

    ksparrow Coin Hoarder Supporter

    Spiked Chin party? let me join in. 1804 half cent spiked chin label.jpg 1804 half cent spiked chin obv.jpg 1804 half cent spiked chin rev.jpg
     
    ksparrow, Jan 31, 2026 at 2:09 PM
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  13. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic numismatist Moderator

    lordmarcovan, Feb 1, 2026 at 6:07 AM
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  14. Conder101

    Conder101 Numismatist

    The Spiked Chin is not A variety, it is actually four varieties, and the obv die was actually used on FIVE varieties. It was first used to strike C-3 and on that one it did not have the spiked chin. Then the bolt got smashed and that same pair of dies, with the spiked chin, was called C-5. The damaged die was then paired with three more reverse dies to create C-6, C-7, and C-8. C-5 is scarce, C-6 is common but hard to get because the reverse breaks down spectacularly with something like 22 different cataloged dies stages. Many half cent collectors collect it by die stage so the high demand makes it harder to find. C-7 is rare, the second rarest of the 1804 varieties. C-8 is common, but since the other spiked chins are tough for other reasons it pushes the average collector that wants a spiked chin to the C-8 increasing the demand there.

    All of the Spiked Chins shown so far in the thread are C-8's except Clawcoins. The image is too dark to say too much about it but it is NOT a Spiked Chin, and it either is not an 1804 or it may not be real. It has the narrow A in half and the leaves in the cluster to the right of the F both extend above the F. Those were last used in 1802 on the 1802 rev of 1800.

    Now for what the Obv die looked like shortly after the bolt got mashed, here is a high grade early die stage C-5.
    C5 earlystage.jpg

    This is the rev of C-6 in Manley Stage 11
    1804 C6 Manley 11.jpg

    And this is a C-8 identifiable by the dull die crack from the upright of R in AMERICA to the rim. It is also clearly visible on the other C-8's in the thread.
    1804 C8.jpg
     
    Conder101, Feb 5, 2026 at 2:04 PM
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