Coins pass through our hands every day with little notice. They’re exchanged, stacked, and stored as part of routine life. Yet along the edge of many coins runs a precise series of grooves that serve a purpose far greater than decoration. Those ridges are the result of deliberate design—created to safeguard trust in money during a time when currency was especially vulnerable.
Centuries ago, coins were made from precious metals like silver and gold. That value created an incentive for fraud. Unscrupulous individuals would shave tiny amounts from a coin’s edge, collecting the metal while leaving the coin looking intact. One coin might lose very little, but repeated across thousands, the damage added up. Over time, this practice eroded confidence in currency and disrupted trade, prompting authorities to search for a reliable solution.
The breakthrough came in the late 17th century with the adoption of ridged, or reeded, edges. The idea was simple and effective: a uniform pattern made tampering immediately obvious. Any shaved or altered coin would stand out at a glance or to the touch. This innovation quickly reduced fraud and became one of the earliest examples of practical anti-counterfeiting design.
Today, coins are no longer made from precious metals, yet ridged edges remain. They help machines sort and authenticate currency, allow people to distinguish coins by feel—including those with visual impairments—and maintain consistency across denominations. Beyond function, the grooves preserve a sense of continuity, linking modern money to centuries of careful craftsmanship and problem-solving.
Those tiny ridges are a reminder that smart design can endure. Even the smallest details can protect value, build trust, and carry history forward—quietly doing their job every time a coin changes hands.