CU-25c-2005P-08R(WV) Cud

Description

Eighth reverse cud documented on the 2005 Philadelphia West Virginia State Quarter, CU-25c-2005P-08R(WV) represents the highest-numbered reverse cud in what has emerged as one of the most cud-prolific designs in the entire State Quarters program. Eight reverse rim breaks from a single state design's production run at one mint facility exceeds the typical cud population for most State Quarter issues, raising questions about whether the New River Gorge Bridge reverse design contributed to elevated die fracture rates. Cuds on Coins cataloged this variety with no additional cross-reference numbers, documenting an independent die failure event distinct from the seven previously recorded reverse cuds for this date-mint-state combination. The accumulation of eight reverse cuds provides statistically meaningful data about die mortality for this specific design — data that researchers can compare against cud populations from all fifty state designs to assess whether design complexity, depth of engraving, or specific geometric features correlate with fracture frequency. Philadelphia struck approximately 365 million West Virginia quarters in 2005, and the eight documented reverse cuds indicate that at least eight distinct reverse dies fractured at the rim during this production run. The State Quarters program (1999-2008) generated unprecedented public engagement with coin collecting, and the intensive circulation searching conducted by millions of collectors during this era contributed to exceptionally thorough die break documentation that might not have occurred for other, less collector-scrutinized denominations.

Attribution History

• Discovered by David Strzalkowski
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References