The Hidden History Behind Coin Ridges: Why Dimes and Quarters Have Those Tiny Grooves

Enter the coin clipper — a clever (and illegal) thief who would:

Shave tiny slivers of metal from the edges of coins

Collect the shavings to melt down into bullion

Spend the clipped coin as full value — because it still looked whole

Just a little off each coin.

Hard to notice.

But do it hundreds of times?

You’d have a fortune in stolen silver — and the government would be none the wiser.

This wasn’t rare.

It was rampant.

And it threatened the entire economy.

🛡️ The Solution: Reeded Edges — The Original Anti-Fraud Tech

Enter Sir Isaac Newton — yes, that Isaac Newton.

In 1696, the famed physicist became Warden of the Royal Mint in England.

And one of his first missions?

Stop the coin clippers.

His solution?

Add ridges — or “reeds” — to the edges of coins.

These grooves, known as reeding, made it impossible to clip silver without it being obvious.

Why?

A clipped coin would have broken or uneven ridges

A full coin had perfect, continuous grooves

No machine at the time could replicate the mint’s precise reeding pattern

It was 17th-century security tech — and it worked.

✅ Fun fact: Newton personally prosecuted over 100 counterfeiters — some of whom were sentenced to death.

🪙 Why Some Coins Still Have Ridges (And Others Don’t)

Fast forward to today.