1976 (D) Washington Quarter - CU-25c-1976D-01 Cud

Description

Bicentennial quarter production at the Denver Mint generated this first-cataloged cud error, where a section of the die rim fractured and separated, creating the characteristic raised featureless blob along the coin's edge. The 1976-D Washington Quarter carries Jack L. Ahr's colonial drummer reverse design, selected through a national competition to commemorate the nation's two-hundredth anniversary, and the cud's position relative to this special reverse design identifies where the die rim failure occurred. Cataloged by Cuds on Coins with no cross-reference number assigned, the "01" designation establishes this as the primary cud documented for the 1976-D Bicentennial quarter. The sheer volume of die pairs consumed during this extended production run (Bicentennial coins were struck across 1975 and 1976) statistically increased the probability of rim fracture events that produce cud errors. Unlike regular-issue quarters where the reverse design changes annually in modern programs, the Bicentennial design was used for an extended period, meaning reverse dies experienced sustained production duty. Die rim fractures concentrate where the design meets the retaining collar, and the mechanical stresses of high-speed striking operations inevitably produce occasional failures in this vulnerable zone.

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