2004 Wisconsin D quarter variety

joeyuk · Advanced Member

Anyone care to comment on the state quarter variety on the front cover of 1/10/05 CoinWorld? There seems to be two versions of this coin. Both expressed as an extra leaf on the viewers left side of the cornhusk. One ends behind another leaf the other archs down to the wedge of cheese. Joe

Gabe · Senior Member

Very interesting. I still have not received my CW, but I am interested in reading the article when I do.

cladking · Member

I expected a lot of this sort of thing with the states issues because of the short production times. This appears to be the first real variety for these. The timing is great since it will make an interesting kick-off to the California quarter to be released later this month.

Cool.

Gabe · Senior Member

Any word on which is the scarcest out of them 3?

joeyuk · Advanced Member

220 D mint coins were examined and 9 were of the first pic and 3 were of the second pic. The third pic is most common(normal).
150 P and 15 S coins were also checked all being normal.

coop · Expert Member

Finally a variety in Denver mint coins. Whoo Hoo! (_8^(|)

Robert · Senior Member

Haven't received that issue yet.

Comments on your pics:
1. The design in the first pic seems to penetrate into the ear of corn near the base. They overlap. I don't think modern coin design would show that. Either the small leaf is "there" and "in front of" the rest of the design or it isn't. It does look like a leaf (or husk or whatever) but I don't think it's a design element. Might be a heck of a die scratch? Of the two, this one is more likely a die variety, but IMO it's not a genuine variety.

2. Looks even less like a leaf and more like a die scratch/gouge. Inner arc is ragged. I don't think that was a design element. Its lower extremity arcs away from the ear of corn and the upper extremity terminates abruptly at a leaf/husk. Why would it sprout from a wheel of cheese?

I only found 2 Wisconsin D quarters and both were "normal". Will keep an eye out for these so I can look at one up close.

Great discussion topic though!

Gabe · Senior Member

Robert, what you just pointed out were things that I first noticed when I looked at the pics, especially the overlapping in the first pic. It would be interesting to learn more about these varieties. Im currently out of town, and have not read the article. I will let you know what I think of them once I do.

joeyuk · Advanced Member

Yes as the first "leaf" goes into the ground at the base of the husk you see elements of this extra leaf in front of the rest of the design. For that to be a scratch or gauge, which the article points out are usually small and straight, it would have to be deeper into the die then the intended design.

coppercoins · Site Admin

Odd, the first thing I noticed is how all the other surrounding elements are completely different on all three designs. The corn grains, the main husk detail, the size of the down-folded husk end. All are different from one another - definitely different designs if you ask me.

I have seen three D mint quarters since reading this post. All were without the extra leaf...normal.

coop · Expert Member

I searched a roll of the Wisconsin-D quarters. All common ones. Got another roll, but figure they will be the same as they came from the same shipment from the Bank. Wish I could find at least one, then it would be worth searching for more, but another chance when They get another batch.

Robert · Senior Member

You're in the right state. The article seemed to say the coins were found in Tucson.

coop · Expert Member

My son lives there. I'll have to see if he can get any rolls of the Wisconsin-D mint quarters. Be nice to get some to sell/trade with other collectors.

joeyuk · Advanced Member

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=41098&item=3950648924&rd=1

Evidently the guy who found them has them on E-bay. He has a few auctions ending on different days.

Robert · Senior Member

FWIW, the Jan 24 Coin World (page 2) has an article on this. Says the Mint's assistant director of design says "We believe they are deep gouges in the blanks that did not fully coin out".

Then the article says CW was seeking clarification. Either the mint meant
A) the marks are raised on the coins
or
B)the gouges were made in the die blanks prior to their "being impressed by hubs that conveyed the design, and that the hubbing operation did not fully efface the evidence of the gouges". That is, the coining dies are gouged some time before or during the hubbing operation, and since the scratch was in a "flat", background area they were not erased by the design of the coin. The article says "some variety specialists favor this explanation." Just a coincidence that the gouges look like corn leaves.

Can't be "A" becuase the marks are in relief on the coin.