Purpose of denticles?

dan1ecu

Are they just for decorative purposes? Does anyone know what was the earliest coin with them?

Dan

ms70

I'm going to guess it's for the same purpose as reeding- So gold or silver can't be scraped off the coin without noticing.

MrEureka

Purpose of denticles?

Are they supposed to make your teeth laugh?

ConstellatioCollector

Coins from the late 1700s had denticles!!!

Coulport

Is this a life science question?

MrEureka

I'm sure this isn't close to the first coin with denticles, but it's from 307 AD...

dan1ecu

307 AD...

So, they're not relatively new. That's interesting.

I guess they serve to make the coin look nicer. Kind of like a picture frame.

The "stared reverse" 1794 large cent is neat. I guess it was quite an accomplishment to do that in those days. Does anybody know anything about that one? I suppose the die was hand-engraved...

Dan

Lakesammman

This from the numismatic dictionary:

"Rim of a coin created from a continuous circle of tooth-like indentations or ornaments. Denticles were sometimes applied in this way to compensate for a minting process which omitted the use of a collar. In other words, it allowed the planchet space to spread out."

Perhaps after that, is was just tradition?? The coins didn't look right w/o it.

Conder101

Denticals are supposed to do the same thing that the raised rim does, they help with stacking and also provide some protection to the devices from wear. Especially the inscriptions. After the close collar came into use and a raised rim was provided on the coin the denticals were not needed and were kept mainly as a decorative/traditional feature. They finally started disappearing with the 1907 eagles and as each denomination afterwards was redone the denticals were dropped. (The Standing Liberty quarter has a "beaded border" not true denticals.

nwcs

I would suppose that having a decorated border would also make it more apparent if any silver or gold was scraped away. I know I have read articles where some mint had purposely made the design a cross and the king issued a decree saying that as long as the cross was intact on the coin, it was legal tender.