CU-25c-1966-02R Cud

Description

Second documented reverse cud for the 1966 Washington Quarter, this variety records a major die break from the second year of clad coinage production. The 1966 Washington Quarter was struck without a mintmark, as the Mint temporarily eliminated mintmarks from 1965 through 1967 during the transition from silver to copper-nickel clad composition — a policy intended to discourage the hoarding of coins by date and mint collectors that had contributed to the coin shortage of the early 1960s. A cud forms when a piece of the die rim fractures and separates completely, leaving a cavity that fills with metal during striking to produce a raised featureless mass at the edge of the coin. The early clad years represented a significant metallurgical transition for the Mint, as dies designed for 90% silver planchets now struck copper-nickel clad blanks with different hardness and flow characteristics. This transition may have affected die wear patterns and fracture rates as the Mint adjusted to the new composition. The 1966 quarter also belongs to the three-year window during which Special Mint Sets replaced standard proof and uncirculated sets. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins, cuds from the transitional 1965-1967 period are of particular interest to error variety researchers who study how the composition change affected die performance and failure modes.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References