What is the “In Cod We Trust” Quarter?

 

What is an “In Cod We Trust” Quarter?

If you’ve come across a 2022 or 2023 U.S. quarter that appears to say “In Cod We Trust” instead of “In God We Trust” on the obverse, you’re not alone. In fact, you may even see quarters claiming to have this error listed for hundreds or thousands of dollars on auction sites like eBay. 

So, what’s the deal? Did the U.S. Mint accidentally produce a series of valuable error coins that feature a botched version of the iconic slogan? Well, not exactly. In reality, “In Cod We Trust” appears on most quarter-dollars produced from 2022 and 2023. Due to the design of quarters minted during this year, many feature a letter “G” that looks suspiciously like a “C,” giving them the appearance of an error coin.

In other words, avoid spending your hard-earned money on “In Cod We Trust” coins you see listed on the internet. This error does not actually exist, and quarters that appear to say “In Cod We Trust” are typically worth only $0.25. 

“In Cod We Trust” Quarter Error

Starting in 2022, coin collectors noticed something strange about United States quarter-dollars. Like all other U.S. coins, these $0.25 pieces featured the official motto of the United States, “In God We Trust,” on the obverse side. But on certain quarters released in 2022 and 2023, the motto looks more like it says “In Cod We Trust.”

Especially when the quarters were first released, misinformation spread like wildfire online. Sellers online began listing “In Cod We Trust” quarters for hundreds of thousands of dollars on auction websites like eBay, and this trend continues today. But if you’ve had your eye on one of these so-called rare coins, it’d be a good idea to save your money.

That’s because “In Cod We Trust” is not an error. Certain quarters minted during 2022 and 2023 feature a “G” in “God” that looks quite a bit like a “C.” There are hundreds of millions of “In Cod We Trust” quarters out there, and they’re almost always worth little more than face value.

Is “In Cod We Trust” An Error Coin?

“In Cod We Trust” is not an error, at least not in the traditional sense. A mint-made error is a visual abnormality that occurs due to a mistake during the minting process. Mint errors can occur at nearly every step of the process, and there is a massive collector’s market for genuine error coins. In fact, some error coins are worth thousands of dollars or more, depending on their rarity and spectacularness. 

But the “In Cod We Trust” quarters produced in 2022 and 2023 are not considered genuine error specimens. Quarter-dollars minted by the U.S. Mint in 2022 and 2023 simply feature a design that makes the “G” in God appear to be a “C.” No error was involved – they just look that way. 

What Causes the “In Cod We Trust” Variety?

There’s no error involved in the appearance of the phrase “In Cod We Trust” on 2022 and 2023 U.S. quarters. The serif, or the stroke that finishes off the interior of the “G” in God, was unusually small and faint on this coin, making it appear like the “G” is actually a “C.” Visually, this means that “In God We Trust” actually looks like “In Cod We Trust.”

Adding to the confusion, the interior part of the letter “G” can wear over the course of a quarter’s circulation. Eventually, the “G” turns into a “C.” And there you have it – “In Cod We Trust.” While it can be a funny coin to look at and might represent one of the U.S. Mint’s more troubling design choices, the “In Cod We Trust” quarter does not qualify as an error coin.

How Much is the “In Cod We Trust” Quarter Worth?

Although you may see “In Cod We Trust” quarters listed for hundreds or thousands of dollars online, the curious little coin actually isn’t worth much more than its face value of 25 cents. If you’re lucky, you may find someone who thinks the coin is funny enough to be worth $0.50. After all, how often do you see a reference to fish on American coinage?

But in most cases, “In Cod We Trust” quarters aren’t worth very much money. Instead, these coins sell for only face value. This didn’t stop sellers online from getting confused, though. Since error coins are so popular (and valuable), many collectors still believe that the “In Cod We Trust” quarter is a rare error worth quite a bit of money.

That’s why you’ll find “In Cod We Trust” quarters listed for thousands of dollars on some auction sites, even though these coins are neither rare nor examples of genuine errors. 

The Bad News

The bad news is that the “In Cod We Trust” quarter isn’t worth very much money. At best, you may be able to get a friend to pay $0.50 to $1.00 for the coin because of its novelty. Among serious collectors, however, the coin is so common that you shouldn’t expect to receive more than face value for it. 

Moreover, the infamous “In Cod We Trust” quarter-dollar isn’t a new addition to your collection of error coins. While some may argue that the U.S. Mint made an error during the coin design process that led to the appearance of the fishy reference on its obverse, it doesn’t meet the standard definition of an error. And since so many millions of these coins were minted in 2022 and 2023, they’re not worth much to collectors.

The Good News

The good news is that the “In Cod We Trust” coin is fun to collect. This type of mint design mistake is pretty uncommon, and we can’t find many more examples of an entire coin’s release being marred by a strange lettering design on its obverse. Even if you won’t make thousands of dollars out of the “In Cod We Trust” quarter, it’s certainly worth a chuckle.

For fans of fishing, the “In Cod We Trust” quarter is an unbeatable collectible U.S. coin – even if it’ll only cost you about 25 cents.

Busting the “In Cod We Trust” Error Coin Myth

At the end of the day, the “In Cod We Trust” quarter exemplifies one of the biggest perils of coin-collecting in the age of the internet. After the coin’s release, confusion about what caused the appearance of the word “Cod” on the obverse led to tens of thousands of listings on marketplaces like eBay. 

What followed was a vicious cycle that we often see on the rare and error coin collecting scene. New collectors would receive an “In Cod We Trust” quarter as change and look it up. Then, they’d see that it’s being listed for hundreds or thousands of dollars. Next, unknowing collectors would put their coin up for similar rates, adding to the confusion and building the misconception behind the “In Cod We Trust” quarter-dollar.

You’ll see this cycle continue with other coins, such as the “no date” Buffalo nickel. Since the date lettering on the Buffalo nickel’s first releases was so raised, it would quickly wear down over time, resulting in coins that seemed to have no date. Some eBay sellers believed that this was a rare error, leading to thousands of listings for thousands of dollars. Of course, the “no date” Buffalo nickel isn’t actually worth much more than face value.

Somewhere in this saga is a powerful lesson for both new and experienced collectors. Before you buy or list an error coin, take some time to familiarize yourself with the type of error – and its rarity. 

Final Thoughts: About the “In Cod We Trust” Quarter

In 2022 and 2023, some U.S. quarters included a strange feature. Instead of the classic U.S. motto, “In God We Trust,” these coins appear to say “In Cod We Trust.” Some online sellers and new coin collectors mistakenly believe that this is a rare and valuable error, but this isn’t actually the case. 

Instead, the “In Cod We Trust” quarter was created through a combination of circulation wear and an overly light design on the interior serif of the “G.” These coins are worth only $0.25 in most cases, although some fans of fishing or funny coins may be willing to pay a bit more. 

We don’t know about you, but we think there’s something a bit fishy about quarters minted in 2022 and 2023!

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• What Are Mint-Made Error Coins?
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