Why dimes, quarters, halfs, dollars, etc. have reeded edges

airplanenut

I found this answer to be interesting, so I wanted to post why the coins above (and the like) have reeded edges...

When they were made of silver, people would shave the edge of a coin, thus taking away some of its base-metal value. Since this wouldn't be detected, reeding was added. If a coin with a reeded edge had a smooth one instead, someone receiving payment would know that they were being slightly short-changed...

Even though we got rid of our precious metals in coins, the edges have stayed the same because of tradition.

Jeremy, from school

Dog97

Oh! I thought they had reeds so you could tell if they had collar errors.

kieferscoins

Your right. The process of shaving off the pieces of silver was known as "clipping" the coins.

Cameron Kiefer

dorkkarl

so why do clad coins w/ no silver value still have reeded edges? it's because machines which accept coins (pop machines, etc) were designed w/ reeding in mind, and would have all had to have been modified to accept unreeded coins. or so i've been told.

K S

airplanenut

Dork, (that's a funny way to address someone )

It is also tradition/customary as I was told...

davefperry

I've read that it also helps the sight impaired identify coins.

DesertLizard

Hmm, so is that what they are teaching kids in school today?!!

Numismatics 101?

robertpr

I thought it was a security measure to prevent counterfeiting. But the silver thing makes sense too

coinguy1

davefperry,

I (sort of, anyway) sincerely hope that your comment "I've read that it also helps the sight impaired identify coins" was in no way a reference to professional graders

airplanenut

<< <i>Hmm, so is that what they are teaching kids in school today?!! Numismatics 101? >>


Actually, I learn that I need to get to a computer fast during study hall so I can type these school-related posts

Mark

The idea of eliminating clipping is right on the money. Some early U.S. silver coins also had lettered edges, which served the same purpose.

I don't think vending machines check the edge to determine if a coin is legitimate. I think they check its electromagnetic signiture.

I believe that U.S. twenty cent pieces do not have a reeded edge (someone else who knows for sure can corrrect my statement if it is an error.) I recall twnety cent pieces were given a smooth edge to help differentiate between them and a quarter.

Also, a whole bunch of patterns, the "Standard Silver Series" issued in 1869 and 1870 have a plain edge. These patterns were issued in various designs. Each design was issued in three different types of metal (silver, copper, and aluminum) and each metal/design type was issued with a reeded edge and with a plain edge.

Mark

lathmach

<< <i>Your right. The process of shaving off the pieces of silver was known as "clipping" the coins.

Cameron Kiefer >>




The historical term for shaving small amounts of precious metal from the edges of coins to cheat the next owner is "chiseling".
A person that did it was known as a "chiseler".
The term "Chiseler" is still used to describe someone who cheats someone else.
Chiseler.
Look under historical notes.

Ray

airplanenut

To my knowledge, at least some vending machines work on sound... they calculate the money based on the sound it makes when it hits a metal strip... hence, if you record the sound of a quarter falling into a machine and play it back, you will get a nearly free soda.

DaveG

Yes.

20 cent pieces don't have a reeded edge.

Conder101

They have some kind of security edge to prevent the clipping of the coin. In the early days of he US mint they used the lettered ege but this only worked with the open collars. With the close collars it would crush the edge lettering if it was applied before the striking and if they tried to apply i after striking they had problems with poor impressions since the coins had been work hardened in he striking process, or if sufficient pressure was applied the coins would show buckling. The REEDED edge was used because it could be applied during the coining process and the coins could still slide up out of the collar without destroying the security edge. (For the lettered edges on the Saint-Gaudens coins they used a segmented collar that broke apart and retracted after each strike.) Today the reeding remains because of tradition.

Barndog

I thought this an educational thread about "the third side" to a coin.

MikeInFL

Nice thread...

(For the lettered edges on the Saint-Gaudens coins they used a segmented collar that broke apart and retracted after each strike.)

What an odd contraption. Any other coins that have such a complex manner of striking the edge?

MrHalfDime

This was from my post to laserart's WORD FOR THE DAY thread on September 10 regarding "Castaing Machine":

One of the greatest reasons for applying edge lettering (or reeding, for that matter) was to discourage the widespread practice of 'scraping' of precious metal from the edges of coins in circulation. Unscrupulous merchants would often scrape a little silver (or gold) from the edge of each coin that passed through their hands, eventually accumulating a nice little cache of valuable metal. If the coin edge had lettering or reeding, this would be immediately evident to anyone receiving the coin in commerce. Of course, once all precious metal was removed from our coinage, and we began using fiat money, this was no longer a problem. But that is a discussion for another thread, and another day.

stockergreen

I learn so much about coins here

frankieboywonder

The Coinage Act of 1965 should have scrapped reeding on the dime and quarter straight away when clad composition for circulation coins was introduced that year, and then reeding eliminated on the half dollar in 1971 when it also went to c/n clad. But no.............the illusion continues. We all live in a fantasy world you know!