Etymology From head (“uppermost part of the body”, noun) + mark.
1
The distinction or peculiarity of the head, face, or features used in distinguishing each individual of a given species; personal appearance; facial features.
He may be recognized by his headmark. You can tell him by the lounging style in which he shuffles along the leading streets, his face deformed by patches of filthy hair, and his garments cut after a rakish pattern.1858, Robert Jackson MacGeorge, Tales, Sketches and Lyrics, page 240:
headmark
noun
Etymology From head (“positioned at the head, primary, main”, adjective) + mark.
1
A headland marking the limit of a field.
2
A credit (as toward a prize to be awarded) given to a pupil for reaching the head position in an examination conducted with the pupils lined up and each pupil advancing toward the head of the line according to the proportionate number of his or her correct answers.