CU-25c-2005P-01R(WV) Cud

Description

Cataloged in the Cuds on Coins reference system as CU-25c-2005P-01R(WV), this major die break was discovered on the 2005 Philadelphia Mint West Virginia State Quarter. A cud error occurs when a piece of the die — typically along the rim where the die meets the collar — fractures and falls away entirely, leaving a void in the die face that produces a raised, featureless blob of metal on every subsequent coin struck from the damaged die. The "01R" designation indicates this is the first cataloged reverse cud for the 2005-P West Virginia issue, providing a systematic reference number within the Cuds on Coins organizational framework. The Stage A designation in the catalog documents the initial documented state of this cud, with later stages potentially showing expansion of the die break as additional die material fractures away under continued use. Cuds are classified separately from pre-cuds and retained cuds: a full cud has a completely separated die fragment, a retained cud has a fragment that cracked but remained partially attached, and a pre-cud shows the advanced crack system that will eventually produce a cud but has not yet resulted in metal separation. No cross-reference numbers to other cataloging systems exist for this variety. The State Quarter, designed with John Flanagan's Washington obverse, was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in clad composition at 5.67 grams with a 24.3 mm diameter. The West Virginia reverse, designed by John Mercanti, features the New River Gorge Bridge — the longest steel span in the Western Hemisphere at its completion. State Quarter cuds are among the most actively collected modern die breaks, as the fifty-state program spanning 1999 to 2008 created a natural framework for collecting cuds organized by state, mint, and position on the design.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Heritage Auction
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References