What’s In An Edge?

You know those fluted (they’re actually reeded) edges — the little grooves around the edge of many coins? They originally existed for a very practical anti-theft reason.

Back when coins were made from precious metals like gold and silver, people would literally shave tiny amounts off the edges of coins. This was called “clipping.” One clipped coin wasn’t noticeable, but clipping thousands of coins added up to valuable metal.

Reeded edges made clipping obvious immediately:

• A smooth-edged coin could be shaved without easy detection.
• A reeded coin would show missing or damaged grooves if tampered with.

So the grooves acted like an early security feature.

Today, reeded edges still serve several purposes:

• Anti-counterfeiting — harder to fake accurately.
• Identification by touch — useful for visually impaired people and quick denomination recognition.
• Machine handling — vending machines and coin sorters can identify coins partly by edge characteristics.
• Tradition and aesthetics — many modern coins keep the classic look.

Interesting examples:

• The Australian 20c and 50c coins have reeded edges.
• The Australian $1 and $2 coins use interrupted milling (sections of grooves) for tactile identification.
• Some coins have lettering instead of reeds — historically another anti-clipping method.

Challenge coins too, can utilise reeded edges, however as you see; there are lots more options available for recognition and reward coins than currency ones.

As long as the edge doesn’t detract from, or worse, compete with the overall design integrity of your coin, they can be a great enhancement.