If you've ever taken a closer look at the coins in your pocket, you might have noticed that two of the four coins in wide circulation in the United States—the dime and the quarter—have a series of ridges on their edges. According to the U.S. Mint, this is known as a reeded edge. But why do these coins have ridged edges? Is it purely decorative, or does it serve a functional purpose? The answer traces back to the 17th century, long before the United States was even founded.

When the U.S. Mint opened in Philadelphia in 1793, the coins it produced were made of copper, silver, and gold, as stipulated by the Coinage Act of 1792. During this period, coins made of precious metals were susceptible to a practice known as clipping. Clipping involved cutting off small portions around the circumference of the coins. Skilled clippers would shave off just enough metal to amass a quantity of valuable scrap without making the coins noticeably smaller or lighter, allowing them to continue using the altered coins in circulation.

This problem wasn't unique to the United States. Clipping was rampant in 17th-century Europe, particularly in England. By the end of that century, nearly half of the silver content had been clipped from circulating English coins. This widespread clipping caused the metal value of the coins to drop below their face value, threatening to spark a financial crisis across Europe and its colonies.

To combat this, England began minting coins with ridged edges. The ridges made any clipping immediately noticeable, as a smooth edge indicated tampering. When the United States became an independent nation, the U.S. Mint adopted this practice. From the outset, higher denomination coins were designed with reeded edges to deter clipping and protect the integrity of the currency.

So, while the reeded edges on dimes and quarters may appear decorative, they actually serve a crucial function rooted in the history of coinage. This small detail helps preserve the value and trustworthiness of our currency, just as it did centuries ago.