What is a reeded edge coin?

The reeded edge of a coin is the series of grooved lines that encircle the perimeter of some U.S. coins, such as the dime, quarter and half dollar.

What does reeded edge mean on a coin?

Reeded edges are often referred to as "ridged" or "grooved" (US usage), or "milled" (UK usage). Some coins, such as United States quarters and dimes, have reeded edges. Reeding of edges was introduced to prevent coin clipping and counterfeiting.

Why do coins have serrated edges?

Before coins were notched, shaving coins was a common practice, and at one point, the problem was so bad that merchants refused to accept coins without first weighing them to determine their true value. Notching the coins corrected the problem since any attempt to shave a notched coin could be easily detected.

Why are coins reeded today?

Mint was to thwart edge clipping or filing of precious metals from coins. That intention, along with design enhancement and counterfeiting deterrence, continues today with reeded edges found on silver and gold U.S. commemorative coins as well as silver and gold American Eagles.

What is the edge on a coin called?

Obverse (heads) is the front of the coin and the reverse (tails) is the back. Edge is the outer surface, which can have lettering, reeding, or be plain. Near the edge is the raised area called the rim. A bust is an image of a person from the neck up, like Abraham Lincoln on the penny.

Why Do Coins Have Ridges? Reeded Edges Explained!

What is a clad coin worth?

The U.S. Mint has been issuing clad Washington quarters by the millions and is still found in circulation today. Therefore, circulated examples are only worth face value while uncirculated coins are plentiful and widely available for a small premium over face value.

What does milled edge mean?

In modern practice in the United States, milling, or a milled edge, can refer to the raised edge on the coin face, applied by a special milling machine after the planchets are cut out and polished.

Why does a quarter have 119 ridges?

Before the 18th-century was out, the U.S. Mint began adding ridges to the coins' edges, a process called “reeding”, in order to make it impossible to shave them down without the result being obvious. The reeded edges also made coin design more intricate and counterfeiting more difficult.

What is a clad on a coin?

Clad Coinage: Coins that have a core and outer layer made of different metals. Since 1965, all circulating U.S. dimes, quarters, half dollars, and dollars have been clad.

Why did the US government put grooves on coins?

At this point, to deter coin shaving, he added a system of ridges so that no coin could be shaved or clipped in order to benefit unscrupulous wheelers and dealers. Thus was born coin ridges, a technique used by nearly every country today.

Which coins have smooth edges?

The penny and nickel, though, have a smooth edge. This is something you've probably noticed before if you handle American coins regularly, but like many design choices, probably not one you gave a second thought.

When did the US stop putting silver in quarters?

The Coinage Act of 1873 (also called the "Crime of 1873" by silver miners) demonetized silver, effectively causing a slump in silver demand and prices. The Coinage Act of 1965 eliminated silver from quarters and dimes.

What do you mean by reeded?

Definition of reeded

1 : decorated with reeding a bed with reeded posts. 2 : having corrugations a coin with a reeded edge.

Why do modern coins have ridges?

Short Answer: The notched edges on certain coins were initially designed to prevent people from filing the edges down when coins were made of more precious metals.

Why do we call a penny a cent?

During the colonial period, people used a mixture of coins from other countries. A popular coin was the British penny, which was the smallest part of the British pound coin. That's why we call our cent a “penny.” In 1857, Congress told the Mint to make the cent smaller and to mix the copper with nickel.

Why is it called dime?

“Dime” is based on the Latin word “decimus,” meaning “one tenth.” The French used the word “disme” in the 1500s when they came up with the idea of money divided into ten parts. In America, the spelling changed from “disme” to “dime.”

Why is the 5 cent coin called a nickel?

It wasn't until 1883, after intense lobbying efforts by industrialist Joseph Wharton, that the nickel alloy caught on, replacing the half dime and becoming widely circulated as the “nickel,” named after the metal by which it was made.

When did they stop hammering coins?

The ability to fashion coins from machines (milled coins) caused hammered coins to become gradually obsolete during the 17th century. They were still made in Venice until the 1770s.

When did coins first have milled edges?

Milled coins were minted for the first time in 1561, in the reign of Elizabeth I. A screw press powered by horses was used in their manufacture, under the supervision of a Frenchman, Eloye Mestrelle. The quality of the coins was vastly superior to the normal hammered coinage, but production was much slower.

How old are hammered coins?

Archaeological evidence suggests that hammered coins were first produced during the first millennium BC. Hammered coins were produced by placing a blank piece of metal, known as a planchet or flan, between two dies so the required pattern could be struck into both sides.

What is coin shaving?

Coin clipping

Clipping is the act of shaving off a small portion of a precious metal coin for profit. Over time, the precious metal clippings could be saved up and melted into bullion or used to make new coins.

How many ridges are on the edge of a dime?

One of the fun facts I learned from the Money Smart Week exhibit at the library is that dimes have 118 ridges or grooves and quarters have 119.

How do you tell if a coin is silver or clad?

The best way to determine if your coins are silver is to view the edge of the coin. If the coin has a solid silver stripe, then you can feel confident that it's silver. If you can see a copper stripe, then the coin is clad. A more subdued silver stripe with faint traces of copper could mean that the coin is 40% silver.