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The actual term is "reeding". Reeds were first put on the edges of coins back in the days when coins contained precious metals such as gold or silver. It was a common practice for crooks to shave off a tiny amount of metal all the way around the rim of a lot of coins, collect the shavings, and sell them to a metal dealer. If they did the work carefully they could reduce the diameter of the coin very slightly, not enough to be noticed, but enough to accumulate a nice profit once they'd shaved a large enough number of coins. However, shaving a coin with a reeded edge would immediately be obvious and the police or mint officials would know that someone was committing fraud.
Low-denomination coins generally are made of inexpensive metals so they were never reeded, partly because the risk of shaving is quite low and reeding adds a bit to the cost of producing a coin.
When the U.S. and other countries eliminated silver and gold from their coins, the new issues were usually struck from the same dies so reeding continued to be used as a matter of tradition and backwards-compatibility. However, as new designs and denominations were introduced reeding came to be used as a way to make coins distinctive by feel as well as appearance. This gives mints more latitude in choosing sizes because coins can be told apart by their edges as well as their images and colors, something that's particularly important for people who are visually impaired.
New styles of edge markings have been used to replace or augment traditional reeding. For example, some coins have "interrupted" reeding, featuring alternating bands of smooth and reeded metal, while others have thick reeds that resemble worn-down gear teeth. EU 2¢ coins even have a groove running laterally around the edge, a bit like an Oreo cookie, rather than reeds oriented vertically with respect to the coin's faces.
What else can I help you with?
What do call the ridges on the sides of coins?
Coin Edge.
How many ridges does a quarter have?
There are 119 edges on the outer side of a quarter. The ridges were made to help prevent and detect counterfeit coins.
How many ridges dime have around its edge?
A U.S. dime has 118 ridges, also known as reeding, around its edge. These ridges are designed to prevent coin shaving and counterfeiting. The reeding also helps distinguish the dime from other coins with a smooth edge.
What us coins have no ridges around the edges?
"Golden" dollars, pennies, and nickels. It's not that hard, just grab a fistful of change and check it out.
What is reeding on a coin?
"Reeding" is the special term used to describe the ridges found on the edges of many coins. Reeding was originally used on coins containing precious metals like gold or silver to make if obvious if anyone had "scraped" a coin. Scraping is the illegal practice of using a sharp instrument to remove a tiny amount of metal from the edge of a coin. Individually, each coin only loses a small amount of metal but a criminal could accumulate a significant amount of metal by scraping large quantities of coins. Today, many countries use reeding or variations of it to make it easier for people with limited vision to identify coins by touch. For example, in the EU some euro coins have close reeding (i.e. a lot of thin ridges), others have wide reeding (a smaller number of thicker ridges), and still others have interrupted reeding (alternating patterns of smooth and reeded portions)
Does a milled coins have ridges?
Yes - the ridges are called milling, or reeding.
Why can you pick nickels up if they have no ridges?
that isn't the reason coins have ridges, the reason is because they help blind people distinguish their coins. So nickles not having ridges does not affect how easily you can pick them up. Because the human finger has ridges. (The thumbprints tell it)!
What do call the ridges on the sides of coins?
Coin Edge.
Why are some US coins smooth and others with ridges?
Those ridges date back to when some U.S. coins were made of silver or gold. Without reeding (the ridges), it would be easy for someone to scrape off shavings of the metal to keep, and then the coin wouldn't contain its full value of metal content. Cents and nickels were of such low value and lacking precious metals that reeding was unnecessary.
How much is a susan b Anthony dollar with ridges on the edges worth?
These coins contain no silver and are very common. They are worth only face value. All of these coins have ridges.
Which U.S coins have riges?
In the U.S., coins that have ridges, also known as "reeding," include the quarter, half dollar, and dollar coins. The purpose of the ridges is to prevent coin shaving and counterfeiting. The dime and nickel do not have reeded edges, while the penny is smooth. These ridges add texture and help distinguish between different denominations.
How many ridges does a quarter have?
There are 119 edges on the outer side of a quarter. The ridges were made to help prevent and detect counterfeit coins.
What is the definition of ridged rollars?
Dollar coins with 'milling' or ridges around the rim.
Why are there ridges on dimes and quarters?
The ridges on the edges of dimes and quarters was designed to prevent both counterfeiting and 'clipping' -- the practice of shaving some of the metal off the edge, which would quickly add up, seeing as the coins were originally made of silver.
How many ridges are around the edge of a dine?
The number of ridges around the edge of a dime is 118. These ridges, also known as reeding, help prevent counterfeiting and wear on the coin. The design and number of ridges can vary among different coins, but for the U.S. dime, it is consistently 118.
What are the ridges on the side of some coins called?
There are a number of ways that people have referred to it but the two most common is known as reeding or a reeded edge or milling and a milled edge.
How many grooves on the edge of a quarter?
There are 119 ridges on the United States quarter dollar. The ridges are there mostly for making sure the coins are properly used in coin operated machines.
