2005 Kansas "In God We Rust" Quarter: Error or Grease-Filled Die?
The "In God We Rust" Kansas Quarter
The 2005 Kansas State Quarter with "IN GOD WE RUST" instead of "IN GOD WE TRUST" is one of the most recognizable modern coin errors — and one that perfectly illustrates how grease-filled dies create struck-through errors. The missing letter T was caused by grease filling the recessed area of the die, not by a die cutting error or design mistake.
What Happened
During the minting process, the dies are lubricated to reduce wear and facilitate the striking process. Occasionally, this lubricant (grease) accumulates in the recessed areas of a die — the areas that create the raised elements on a coin. When grease fills the recessed area that would normally form a letter, that letter doesn't strike fully into the planchet.
On the Kansas quarter, grease filled the recessed area for the letter T in TRUST, causing the T to be absent or dramatically weakened on struck coins. The result reads "IN GOD WE RUST" — which understandably caught public attention.
Grease-Filled Die vs. Normal
On a normal Kansas quarter, "IN GOD WE TRUST" is fully struck with all letters sharp and complete. On the grease-filled variety, the T ranges from completely absent to significantly weakened.
Is This Actually an Error?
Yes — grease-filled die strikes are genuine mint errors. They fall under the broader category of struck-through errors because a foreign substance (grease) was between the die and the planchet during striking. While grease fills are among the more common error types, the Kansas quarter version is particularly popular because:
- The missing letter creates a readable, humorous phrase
- It was widely covered in media, creating public awareness and demand
- The State Quarter program had massive collecting interest
Value
Values for the Kansas "In God We Rust" quarter vary based on how completely the T is missing and the overall condition. Strong examples where the T is fully absent trade for $50-200+ in uncirculated condition. Examples with partial T weakness are more common and less valuable.
Grease-filled die errors can affect any letter, number, or design element on any coin. Browse struck-through errors in the NumisDex catalog.
