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They’ve passed through countless hands, slipped into meters, stacked on counters, and flipped to make choices—but have you ever really examined a quarter? Run your thumb along its edge? Those tiny ridges, called “reeds,” aren’t decorative—they’re centuries-old security technology. In the 17th century, coin clipping was rampant.
Thieves shaved small amounts of silver from coin edges, amassing bullion while spending seemingly full-value coins. This threatened entire economies, and something had to be done. Enter Sir Isaac Newton, Warden of the Royal Mint in 1696. His solution: reeded edges. The grooves made it impossible to shave coins without detection—clipped coins revealed uneven or broken ridges.
