
Coin edges are the parts of a
coin
A coin is a small object, usually round and flat, used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order to facilitate trade. They are most often issued by ...
's surface between the faces; they may be plain (smooth) or patterned, or a combination of both. They can also include lettering.
Reeded edges are often referred to as "ridged" or "grooved" (US usage), or "milled" (UK usage).
[Concise Oxford Dictionary (2006): mill, produce regular ribbed markings on the edge of (a coin)] Some coins, such as
United States quarters and
dimes, have reeded edges. Reeding of edges was introduced to prevent
coin clipping
A coin is a small object, usually round and flat, used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order to facilitate trade. They are most often issued by a ...
and
counterfeiting
A counterfeit is a fake or unauthorized replica of a genuine product, such as money, documents, designer items, or other valuable goods. Counterfeiting generally involves creating an imitation of a genuine item that closely resembles the original ...
.
[Why do some coins have ridges around the edges?](_blank)
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The main techniques of coin edging are edge mills of various types, which put a pattern on a smooth edge, after a coin and coin mills with edge rings, which pattern the edge at the time when the coin is being milled.
Inscriptions
Examples of edge inscriptions or edge lettering include on the edge of U.S. Presidential dollar coins
Presidential dollar coins (authorized by ) are a series of United States dollar coins with engravings of relief portraits of U.S. presidents on the obverse and the Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World'') on the reverse.
From 2 ...
, various national €2 edge inscriptions
Before the introduction of the euro, the current eurozone members issued their own individual national coinage, most of which featured mint marks, privy marks and/or mint master marks. These marks have been continued as a part of the national desig ...
, and various phrases on the UK one pound coin
The British one pound (£1) coin is a denomination of sterling coinage. Its obverse has featured the profile of Charles III since 2024 and bears the Latin engraving CHARLES III D G REX () F D (), which means 'Charles III, by the grace of God, ...
, most commonly . Inscriptions are more common on thicker, higher-value, or non-circulating coins.
Coin edge patterns
Examples of patterns used on coin edges include:
File:Гладкий гурт.png ,
File:С вырезом гурт.png ,
File:Рифлёный гурт.png ,
File:Прерывисто рубчатый гурт.png ,
File:С наклонными засечками гурт.png ,
File:Текстовой гурт.png ,
File:Сетчатый гурт.png ,
File:С узором гурт.png ,
File:С выбоинами гурт.png,
See also
* Pearl circle
A pearl circle (also pearl rim or pearl ring; French ''grènetis'', German ''Perlkreis'', ''Perlrand'', ''Perlreif'') is a circular arrangement of fine, raised points or "pearls" on the coin edge, edge of coins; it also sometimes appears in round ...
on coins
References
Numismatics
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