Cents And Nickels - Coin Community Forum

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Author	Replies: 9 / Views: 1,683
Rainman Valued Member United States 294 Posts	Posted 08/16/2010 7:19 pm Why are cents and nickels the only modern coins with smooth edges? I was asked this question and I don't have a clue. Rainman Report this Post to the Staff

xfeathersx New Member United States 41 Posts	Posted 08/16/2010 7:25 pm sac's and presidents are smooth too Lori Report this Post to the Staff
Rainman Valued Member United States 294 Posts	Posted 08/16/2010 7:30 pm Good point? But still the question is why the difference? Report this Post to the Staff
scotty11 Pillar of the Community United States 1042 Posts	Posted 08/16/2010 7:38 pm Reeded edges kept folks from shaving-down bits and pieces of true silver coins. That's what I've always been told. Report this Post to the Staff
Waredu Valued Member United States 397 Posts	Posted 08/16/2010 7:58 pm Silver coins would be clipped (have a small piece cut off). Get enough of those small pieces and you've got a tidy little sum. So...they put reeding on the edges so people could easily see whether or not the coin had been clipped. Cents and nickels did not have silver, but dimes, quarters, half-dollars and dollars did. Report this Post to the Staff
Rainman Valued Member United States 294 Posts	Posted 08/16/2010 8:28 pm Wow that is very interesting. I have a 1958 oringal clipped Quarter any bidders?LOL Rainman Report this Post to the Staff
numismo Rest in Peace United States 3039 Posts	Posted 08/17/2010 01:30 am Why has that continued with clad coinage? Tradition? Report this Post to the Staff
Libertad Pillar of the Community Canada 3692 Posts	Posted 08/17/2010 10:34 am The ironic thing is that the ridged ones are worthless and the smooth ones could be clipped these days. But that's defacing a coin. Report this Post to the Staff
biokemist6 Bedrock of the Community United States 12437 Posts	Posted 08/17/2010 11:47 am Quote: Why has that continued with clad coinage? Tradition? Tradition is also the reason why current debased coinage is the same size as the old silver coinage, the face value and size of a coin had a direct correlation to precious metal content. The size of the base metal coins(half cent, cent, 3CN, and nickel) was also dependent on their metal content. Report this Post to the Staff
coppercoins Pillar of the Community United States 7629 Posts	Posted 08/17/2010 11:50 am Actually it's not so much tradition as two other things... 1. The size and shape of the coins remained the same so they would work in vending machines that already existed. 2. The laws that required the reeding and size of the coins was not altered when the silver was removed. Without changing the laws it would have been illegal to mint the coins in a different size or without reeding. Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 9 / Views: 1,683

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