Austrian 4 Kreuzer

The 4 Kreuzer coin, despite its modest copper composition, was often struck on planchets that had been recycled from worn-out larger denominations, a practical measure in the Habsburg mints to stretch resources.

This coin entered circulation in 1762 under Maria Theresa, bearing the imperial double-headed eagle and the ruler's portrait on its obverse. Mints in Vienna and other sites produced it through 1857, though exact outputs vary by year and records aren't always reliable. Sizes fluctuated slightly, but it typically weighed around 10 grams and measured 25 millimeters across.

What surprises many is how such a low-value piece handled the grunt work of empire-building commerce. You'd think a coin worth mere pennies wouldn't travel far, but these turned up in pockets from Bohemia to Italy.

No one knows precisely how many were lost to circulation or melting, but that's numismatics for you—full of gaps.