@bell, first welcome to CCF. Second, I agree with @e&v that the fatter letters could be
Die Deterioration. It could also be circulation flattening. Either way, this doesn't add to the numismatic value of your quarter.
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz