2 Skilling Sweden

The 2 Skilling was struck from copper sourced from Sweden's Falun mines, often recycled from scrap to meet wartime demands.

That made sense in 1718, when Sweden was bogged down in the Great Northern War and every ounce counted. These coins featured a simple design: the Swedish coat of arms on one side, a value and date on the other. Variations exist due to different mints and die wear, but they're not the mysteries some claim.

We don't know the exact mintage figures; records from that era are spotty at best. I've handled plenty over the years—enough to know they're sturdy little things, despite the corrosion that plagues copper.

A dry humor note: In numismatics, we call them "common as dirt," and in this case, that's almost literal.