Have you ever held a quarter in your hand and thought about those tiny ridges along the edge?
No? Well, you’re not alone — but once you learn why they're there, you’ll never look at coins the same way again.
It’s not just design flair. It’s not random texture to impress collectors.
Those ridges — known as reeding — were born out of a need to stop thieves, preserve currency value, and protect economies from collapse.
Let’s dive into the fascinating past behind this small but mighty feature.
🧠 A Nerd Moment That’s Actually Fascinating
Back when coins were made of real silver and gold (yes, like actual precious metals), people got creative — too creative.
You see, back in the 1700s and earlier, a coin wasn’t just a token of trade — it was literally worth its weight in metal.
So what did clever (and sketchy) folks do?
They started clipping the edges of coins — shaving off tiny bits of silver or gold over time.
Just a little sliver here and there.
Hardly noticeable.
But do that enough?
Suddenly, you’ve got a pile of stolen metal — and a bunch of underweight coins floating around.
This practice, known as coin clipping , was rampant in the days before reeded edges — and it caused real economic chaos.
⚖️ How Ridges Stopped Coin Clipping in Its Tracks
