Why Do Nickels Not Have Ridges?

By GovMint :

Unlike some other coins, nickels do not have ridged edges, and there's a fascinating historical reason behind this design choice. Originally, ridges (also known as reeded edges) were added to coins made of precious metals like gold and silver. This practice served a dual purpose: it helped prevent counterfeiting and deterred people from shaving or clipping off small amounts of metal from the edges of coins. Since nickels are  primarily composed of copper and nickel, materials traditionally less valuable than gold or silver, there was no need to protect against such shaving or clipping. Thus, nickels were produced with smooth edges, a tradition that continues today.

Sources Used:

https://nowiknow.com/why-some-coins-have-ridges/