What do you think about building a collection of 50 State Quarters? Should you keep your 2005 quarters? Our list of the most valuable 2005 Washington quarter errors will help you build your collection, no matter how much experience you have or how new you are to the sport.
The famous 50 State Quarters Program, which the US Mint started in 1999 and ran until 2009, includes the 2005 quarters.
As a way to honor the 50 states, the program put out five quarters every year, one for each state that joined the Union. Five quarters were made by the Program in 2005 to honor the states of California, Minnesota, Oregon, Kansas, and West Virginia.
There’s no question that people like these quarters because they have historical and personal value. On the other hand, they are only worth what they’re printed on if they have been used.
Since there are so many Washington quarters, even ones that haven’t been used, they’re only worth about what they say on the coin.
So, are it worth it to collect 2005 quarters? Well, that depends on how good the coin is. You also need to use the right method for collection.
For building a valuable collection of Washington quarters, one of the best ways to make money is to gather errors.
1. 2005-D MS65 Missing Clad Layer California Quarter Error
If you are gathering 2005 quarters, you might find an interesting mistake: the clad layer is missing. As the name suggests, this is a mistake where the coin’s upper clad layer is missing, showing the copper core inside.
If there are impurities in the metal when the planchet is being made, they can weaken the bonds between the copper core and the lamination layers. The weak links can cause the top clad layer to peel, bubble, or crack, which can lead to a lamination error like the missing clad layer error.
Not always, the top clad layer is missing from both sides of the coin. Other times, it’s only missing from one side. This mistake might be worth more, especially if the coin is a gem.
At a Great Collections sale in 2020, a collector paid a huge $1010 for a 2005-D California quarter that had a mistake where part of the clad layer was missing. The Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) gave the coin an MS65 grade.
2. 2005-P MS63 West Virginia State Quarter Off-Center Broad Strike Error
If the planchet is struck outside the collar, the coin has a broad-struck error, which makes one side of the coin wider than normal and thinner.
A die that hits the planchet away from the center is called an off-center strike. The image on the front, back, or both sides of the coin will be off-center because of this.
When there is an off-center broad strike error, the design is not only struck off-center, but the coin also has a diameter that is too long and an edge that is thinner than normal.
So, how much do you think this mistake will cost you? That’s right, this mistake is very noticeable, and fans are ready to pay a lot of money for it.
For instance, at a Great Collections sale in 2021, a collector paid a huge $1230 for a 2005-P West Virginia state quarter graded MS63 with an off-center broad strike error. This is one of the most valuable 2005 quarter mistakes you can add to your collection.
3. 2005-P MS65 State Quarter Minnesota Retained Struck Through Error
Our next mistake is the struck through, which is also written as a strike-through. This is a mistake where something gets stuck between the die and the planchet and leaves its mark on the coin’s surface.
Strays like grease, metal bits, dust, wood specks, hair strands, and more can get stuck between the die and the planchet.
Usually, these things just fall off the planchet when they are hit. They leave only their mark. Sometimes, the item might stick to the planchet, leaving a struck-through error that can’t be erased.
It is more likely that the mistake is useful if it makes a big impact. Heritage Auctions sold a 2005-P MS65 Minnesota state quarter rated MS65 with a cloth struck-through error on the back for a very nice $1,300 in 2023.
4. 2005-D MS65 Die Cap Kansas Quarter Error
The planchet forms around the die as it keeps striking, finally getting raised edges and a hollow center, like a cap. You’ll agree that die caps can be very dramatic, which is another reason why they might cost more.
A collector on eBay sold a 2005-D Kansas quarter graded MS65 with a die cap error for an unbelievable $1,220 in 2020. This is one of the most expensive coins you can add to your collection.
The die cap is another mistake that shows up on the 2005 quarters. This is a mistake where the planchet sticks to the die and finally takes on the shape of the die.
When hit, a planchet should leave the punching hub, making room for the next planchet on the line. But planchets don’t always make it out. Sometimes, they stick to the die and become the new face of the die.
Also See:-10 Most Valuable Dime Error Coins Worth Money (With Pictures)
5. 2005-P MS62 Oregon State Quarter Triple Clipped Error
In your search for 2005 quarters, you may also find a planchet coin that has been clipped. The blanking die cuts into an empty circle on the metal plate from which planchets are cut. This is called a clipped planchet mistake.
The blanking die cuts into the edge of the next planchet by going through the empty circle that the previous planchet was cut from. Because of this, the planchet is missing an edge.
Collectors are ready to pay a lot of money for a clipped planchet error, especially if it has more than one clip along the edge.
A 2005-P Oregon state quarter marked MS62 with a triple clipped planchet was sold by the Great Collections in 2023. It was the only one of its kind. A buyer gave a very nice $910 for this.
6. 2005-D MS64 Oregon State Quarter Doubled Die Reverse Error
Two dice being used twice is one of the most usual mistakes in the 2005 quarter series. This is a mistake where the writing and designs on the front, back, or both sides of the coin can be seen to be repeated.
When the die hits the planchet more than once at slightly different angles, this is called a doubled die error. As more strikes happen, they combine with the previous one, making a kind of doubling. Most of the time, the mistake is worth more when the doubling is stronger.
Someone paid $560 at a Heritage Auction in 2022 for a 2005-D Oregon state quarter that was rated MS64 and had a reverse doubled die error.
7. 2005-P MS65 Minnesota Double Struck Quarter Error
In this next mistake from 2005, there are two of the same design on the same side of the coin. This is called a “double struck” error.
When a planchet doesn’t fully eject from the punching hub, it gets hit a second time. This is called a double struck mistake.
The finished coin will have two of the same design on the front. In this case, there will be two portraits of Washington on the front.
There are different kinds of double strikes, but the most popular one is the classic one. If you’re lucky enough to find one, it could be worth a lot of money. One collector sold a 2005-P Minnesota state quarter rated MS65 with a double-struck error on the front for a crazy $1115.
8. 2005-D MS64 California State Quarter Misaligned Rotated Die Error
A rotated die mistake that isn’t lined up right also shows up in the 2005 quarters series. There is a mistake on this coin; the front and back patterns are not lined up correctly, so you can see a difference between them.
When the obverse and reverse dies are lined up, they usually hit the planchet squarely, which makes sure that the designs on both sides of the coin are in the middle. The images might be off-center if there is a small misalignment.
If the rotating die on a coin isn’t lined up right, you might see that the design on the front is turned at an angle to the design on the back, or the other way around. This is because the dies were not lined up correctly.
The value of the misaligned rotated die mistake depends on how big the offset is. Most of the time, a coin with designs on both sides that are rotated at 90 degrees would be worth more than one with designs that are only rotated at 5 degrees.
