diff --git a/decimal.go b/decimal.go
index 45bc3989..cb4bae3f 100644
--- a/decimal.go
+++ b/decimal.go
@@ -340,6 +340,14 @@ func (d Decimal) Exponent() int32 {
 	return d.exp
 }
 
+// Coefficient returns the coefficient of the decimal.  It is scaled by 10^Exponent()
+func (d Decimal) Coefficient() *big.Int {
+	// we copy the coefficient so that mutating the result does not mutate the
+	// Decimal.
+	return big.NewInt(0).Set(d.value)
+}
+
+
 // IntPart returns the integer component of the decimal.
 func (d Decimal) IntPart() int64 {
 	scaledD := d.rescale(0)