Coins pass through our hands every day, yet few people stop to question why many of them have ridged edges. Those ridges are not decorative—they were created to solve a serious problem that once threatened entire economies. In earlier centuries, coins were made from gold and silver, and their value depended on weight. This led to a widespread practice known as clipping, where people shaved tiny amounts of metal from coin edges to sell separately. Over time, clipped coins became lighter, trust eroded, and economies suffered as confidence in currency declined.
Early governments tried harsh punishments and costly re-minting programs, but none solved the root issue. The breakthrough came with a simple physical solution: ridged edges. Uniform grooves made any tampering immediately visible. A clipped coin disrupted the pattern, allowing merchants and officials to spot fraud instantly—no scales or expertise required.
In the late 1600s, Isaac Newton, serving as Warden and later Master of the Royal Mint in England, played a key role in standardizing this innovation. He oversaw the production of precisely weighed coins with reeded edges, helping restore trust and stability to England’s currency system. His reforms influenced mints across Europe and beyond.
Even after coins stopped being made from precious metals, ridged edges remained. They became a lasting symbol of reliability and integrity. Today, they still serve practical purposes—helping machines identify denominations, aiding the visually impaired through touch, and improving grip.Coin ridges are more than a design detail. They are a reminder that small, thoughtful engineering choices can protect trust, shape economies, and endure for centuries.