Why Quarters Have Ridges: The Hidden History on the Edge of Your Change

Most of us handle coins daily without giving them much thought. Yet even the smallest design features carry centuries of history and innovation. Take the ridges—called “reeds”—along the edge of a quarter. They may look decorative, but those tiny grooves were born out of a clever solution to a serious economic problem.

The Problem of Coin Clipping

Back in the 1600s, coins were struck from precious metals like silver and gold, meaning each piece held real, intrinsic value. This made them targets for a scheme known as “coin clipping.” Thieves would carefully shave off slivers of metal from the edges, pocketing the valuable shavings while passing the lighter, tampered coins back into circulation. Over time, this practice destabilized economies and eroded public trust in currency.

Newton’s Ingenious Fix

When Sir Isaac Newton became Warden of the Royal Mint in 1696, he introduced a game-changing reform. By adding ridges to the edges of coins, tampering became instantly visible—any clipped coin showed uneven or missing grooves. This simple design restored confidence in the money supply and helped preserve economic stability.

Why Ridges Remain Today

Though modern U.S. coins no longer contain precious metals, many denominations—like quarters, dimes, and half-dollars—still feature ridged edges. The reasons are practical and symbolic:

• Security: Precise edge patterns make it harder to counterfeit coins and easier for machines to detect fakes.

• Accessibility: The difference between smooth and ridged edges helps people with visual impairments distinguish between coins.

• Tradition: The familiar look and feel connect today’s coins to centuries of monetary history.

Pennies and nickels, by contrast, have always been made from less valuable metals, so they never needed ridges to deter clipping. Their smooth edges reflect their own distinct role in the system.

A Small Object with a Big Story

Beyond practicality, ridged edges serve as a reminder of human ingenuity. What began as a defense against fraud has become a lasting feature that links modern change to history.

So next time you thumb the edge of a quarter, remember: those grooves are more than decoration. They represent security, accessibility, and centuries of adaptation. In every ridge lies a story of how societies learned to protect value and preserve trust—proof that even the most ordinary coins carry extraordinary history.