Netherlands Dubbeltje

The Dubbeltje's most enduring feature was its unflinching design: a simple portrait of the reigning Dutch monarch on one side and the national lion on the other, which barely changed over 183 years of production.

That consistency made it a reliable pocket companion for generations of Dutch citizens, from farmers to factory workers. Struck mostly in nickel silver—an alloy of copper, nickel, and zinc—it handled the wear of daily transactions without much fuss.

We don't know exactly how many were minted in total; records for earlier years are spotty, likely lost in bureaucratic reshuffles. What we do know is that by the late 20th century, inflation had rendered the 10-cent piece nearly obsolete, leading to its discontinuation in 2001.

Some call it the "poor man's gulden," but that's just lazy shorthand. It was a workhorse coin, plain and simple.