CU-25c-1988P-01 Cud

Description

Cataloged by Cuds on Coins as the first documented cud for the 1988 Philadelphia Washington quarter, CU-25c-1988P-01 records a major rim die break that left a raised, featureless mass of metal on the struck coin. No cross-references to other attribution systems have been established. The 1988-P quarter saw production of approximately 562 million pieces — a moderate mintage that required hundreds of die pairs cycled through the Philadelphia presses over the course of the year. Each die pair had a finite service life, typically producing between 200,000 and 500,000 impressions before wear necessitated replacement, and rim fractures that produce cuds represent catastrophic die failure rather than normal gradual wear. The 1988 quarter continued the Washington design that had been standard since 1932, using John Flanagan's adapted Houdon bust on the obverse and a heraldic eagle perched on a bundle of arrows on the reverse — a design combination that would serve for just eleven more years before the State Quarters program transformed the quarter reverse into a rotating commemorative canvas. Cuds from the late 1980s Washington quarter series appeal to collectors who specialize in pre-State Quarter die errors, documenting the mechanical realities of high-volume coinage production at a facility that was simultaneously striking quarters, dimes, nickels, and cents in enormous quantities. The absence of any known cross-references for this variety means the Cuds on Coins catalog stands as the sole published documentation, and additional study of 1988-P quarter populations may yet reveal further die break varieties.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Mike Diamond
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References