Despite the size difference, a quarter only has one more groove on its edge than a dime. Quarters have 119 grooves on their edge; dimes have 118. The technical name for the grooves on the outside of these coins is "reeding," and only three of the US coins have them — dimes, quarters, and half-dollars. The only currently-used American coins without anything on the edge is the penny and the nickel.
More facts about American coins:
- Nickels, dimes, and quarters are soaked in a chemical solution before they are minted. This washes and polishes the metal before it is stamped.
- Before 1909, there was a picture of Lady Liberty on almost every American coin in circulation. However, by 1950 she had been almost entirely replaced by pictures of the US Presidents. Now, no circulating coin has the picture of Lady Liberty, although she still shows up on some collector's coins.
- The tiny letter underneath the year on coins is called a mint mark. The mint mark show where the coin was struck.