Why dimes, quarters, and half dollars have grooved edges

Business Why dimes, quarters, and half dollars have grooved edges Comments: by Kelvin Spears - 07/10/26 10:51 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Kelvin Spears - 07/10/26 10:51 AM ET Comments: Link copied

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LOUISIANA (WNTZ) – If you still happen to keep coins in your pocket, you may notice an important difference along their edges.

Dimes, quarters and half dollars have rows of narrow grooves, while pennies and nickels have smooth edges. Those grooves, officially known as “reeds,” originated as an anti-theft measure centuries ago.

Early coins were commonly made from valuable metals such as gold and silver. Because the value of a coin was closely tied to the amount of precious metal it contained, some people would shave or file small pieces from the edges.

The metal could then be collected and sold while the altered coin continued to circulate at its full-face value. Instances of the like led to The Great Recoinage of 1696, according to the Atkinson Bullion. The practice became known as coin clipping.

Mints began adding grooves, lettering and other markings to coin edges to make tampering easier to detect. A person receiving a coin could quickly see whether part of its edge had been removed.

Pennies and nickels traditionally had smooth edges because their metal was less valuable and provided less incentive for clipping.

Modern circulating U.S. coins are no longer made primarily from gold or silver, meaning the grooves are not needed for their original security purpose. However, the designs remain useful.

Reeded edges also help people distinguish coins by touch, particularly coins that are close in size. The edge of a dime, for example, feels different from the smooth edge of a penny. The feature can assist people with visual impairments and make coins easier to identify inside a pocket or purse.

The grooves also help vending machines, coin counters and other equipment recognize different denominations by measuring a coin’s size, weight, composition and edge characteristics.

According to the U.S. Mint, a dime has 118 reeds, a quarter has 119 and a half dollar has 150. Pennies and nickels have plain edges. Some dollar coins use inscriptions or other markings around their edges instead of traditional grooves.

The edges are created during the minting process. A blank metal disc, called a planchet, is placed inside a collar as dies strike both sides of the coin. The collar helps shape the coin and may add grooves or other edge details while the coin is struck under intense pressure. Circulating coin presses can apply between 35 and 100 metric tons of force, depending on the denomination.

Although coin clipping has largely disappeared from everyday life, the ridges remain as a small reminder of the time when the metal in a coin could be nearly as valuable as the amount stamped on its face.

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