CU-25c-1988P-02 Rim Cud

Description

Second documented rim cud on the 1988-P Washington Quarter, CU-25c-1988P-02 records a major die break on a Philadelphia Mint quarter from the late 1980s production era. No cross-references to other variety catalogs have been documented. The Washington Clad and Silver Proof Quarter series (1965-1998) represents the clad-era continuation of John Flanagan's 1932 design, struck in copper-nickel clad composition (outer layers of 75% copper/25% nickel bonded to a pure copper core) at 5.67 grams and 24.3mm diameter. The 1988-P quarter carried a mintage of 562,052,000 — an enormous production figure reflecting the ongoing demand for quarter-dollar coins in commerce, vending machines, and daily transactions. This massive die consumption meant hundreds of working die pairs were employed throughout the year, and the statistical probability of at least two dies experiencing catastrophic rim fractures (the "02" suffix confirms this is the second distinct cud position for the date) is well within expected failure rates for such volumes. Philadelphia Mint quarter production in the late 1980s operated on high-speed presses designed to maximize output, and the mechanical stresses of sustained high-speed operation concentrate force at the die's peripheral edge where the rim-forming collar meets the die face, creating the stress environment from which rim breaks develop. Flanagan's obverse Washington portrait, surrounded by LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and the date, or Flanagan's reverse heraldic eagle with denomination and motto, would show the raised featureless mass characteristic of a cud at whatever rim position the fracture occurred.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Chuck Newman
• Expert attribution by Cuds on Coins

External References