The Real Reason Coins Are Made With Ridges

Coin clipping became less of a problem during the 20th century. The U.S. Mint stopped making gold coins during the Great Depression, according to Insider. The Coinage Act of 1965 changed the makeup of dimes, quarters and half-dollars because of the end of the silver standard and a global silver shortage, according to Mental Floss. Eventually, the percentage of silver in these coins was reduced to zero. But these coins all still have ridges. Why? 

One reason is cost. Coins are created by using a metal stamp called a die, and the edges are created with a part of the die called a collar. The government decided there was no reason to spend money to create new dies. The ridges also remain in place to help the visually impaired, according to Insider. Since dimes and pennies are around the same size, checking for ridges is one way to tell them apart without seeing them.

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