They pass through countless hands every day, but most people have never really looked closely at a quarter. If you run your finger along the edge, you will feel small ridges. These ridges are called “reeds,” and they are not decorative. They were actually created as a security feature hundreds of years ago.
Back in the 17th century, coin clipping was a serious problem. Coins were made from precious metals like silver, and thieves would shave tiny amounts off the edges. They could keep the metal and still spend the coin as if it were full value. Over time, this caused major economic problems.
The solution came from Isaac Newton, who became Warden of the Royal Mint in 1696. He introduced ridged edges on coins so that any shaving or clipping would be immediately visible. If the ridges were uneven or missing, people knew the coin had been tampered with.
Newton even personally prosecuted counterfeiters, helping restore trust in currency. The ridged edges made it much harder for criminals to steal metal from coins without being caught.
Today, coins like quarters, dimes, and half dollars still have ridges, even though they are no longer made from silver. The ridges now serve multiple purposes, including helping machines detect fake coins and helping visually impaired people tell coins apart by touch.
Pennies and nickels have smooth edges because historically they were not made from precious metals, so clipping was never a major issue for those coins.
So the next time you hold a quarter, remember that those tiny ridges are not just a design choice. They are a piece of security technology that has been protecting money for more than 300 years.
