1983-P ‘Spitting Eagle’ Quarter

Look closely at the eagle’s beak on a 1983 Philadelphia quarter: on this variety a raised diagonal line juts from it, as if the eagle is spitting. It is a die clash — cataloged, certified, and worth far more than face value in high grade.

What it is

The 1983-P “Spitting Eagle” is a die-clash variety of the Washington quarter, cataloged as FS-901 in the Fivaz-Stanton Cherrypickers’ Guide to Rare Die Varieties. It is exclusive to the 1983-P (Philadelphia) quarter — no Denver or San Francisco pieces show it — and it is officially recognized by both PCGS (coin number 520032) and NGC (1983quartervalue.com; GreatCollections). Note: although sometimes casually described as a “die break,” it is properly a die clash, and the grading services attribute it as such.

How it happens at the Mint

A die clash occurs when the obverse and reverse dies strike each other with no planchet between them. In this case, the outline of Washington’s jaw and neck from the obverse die was transferred onto the reverse die. Every quarter subsequently struck from that reverse die carries a raised diagonal line projecting from the eagle’s beak — the “spit” (1983quartervalue.com). Because the clash happened once to the die, all coins from that die pair share the identical mark, which is why it is a collectible variety rather than a random striking quirk.

Diagnostics: how to identify it

Look for a raised (not scratched-in) diagonal line extending from the eagle’s beak toward the rim on the reverse. Under magnification the line is clearly raised above the field, with the same finish as the surrounding design — the signature of a die clash rather than damage. The mark appears in the same position on every genuine example, so comparing against photos of certified FS-901 pieces is the fastest confirmation. Circulated examples show it too, though wear softens it.

Real error vs. post-mint damage

A scratch from circulation is incuse — cut into the surface — and runs at a random angle. The Spitting Eagle mark is raised, struck into the coin by the clashed die, and sits in a fixed, documented position. If the line looks gouged or sits anywhere other than the documented spot, it is damage, not the variety. When the attribution matters for price, buy it certified: PCGS and NGC both label FS-901.

Notable examples

In circulated XF grades the variety is worth roughly $1–$2 (1983quartervalue.com). Uncirculated examples are where the money is: Heritage sold an MS66+ for $504 in March 2018, an MS66 for $360 in April 2025, and another MS66 for $114 in April 2025 (Greysheet). GreatCollections reports six examples sold over the past 15 years, realizing $63 to $152 in grades 65 to 66 (GreatCollections). On eBay, an NGC MS66 FS-901 sold for $120.50 in June 2026 (eBay).

Part of the appeal is context: the Mint cancelled its annual Uncirculated Mint Set program in 1982 and 1983, so almost no pristine 1983 quarters were deliberately saved — the only uncirculated examples came from low-mintage souvenir sets sold at Mint gift shops. Despite a combined mintage exceeding 1.29 billion coins, high-grade 1983 quarters are a genuine condition rarity (1983quartervalue.com).

Value drivers

Grade dominates: the jump from circulated to MS65 and from MS65 to MS66 is where nearly all the premium lives. Certified attribution as FS-901 adds liquidity, and the broader 1983 condition-rarity story gives the variety a tailwind among Washington-quarter specialists.

Market check

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Specifications and sources

Designer: John Flanagan. Weight: 5.67 grams. Diameter: 24.3 mm. Composition: copper-nickel clad (outer 75% copper, 25% nickel; pure copper core). Edge: reeded. Mint: Philadelphia (P). Strike: business strike. Cherrypickers’ Guide: FS-901. PCGS coin number: 520032 (GreatCollections).