Greek 5 Lepta

The Greek 5 lepta coin's design changed with every monarch, reflecting the nation's turbulent politics from Otto's reign to George I's. That meant a new portrait on the obverse each time, turning a simple bronze piece into an unwitting chronicle of regime shifts.

Struck in bronze at mints like those in Paris or Athens, it weighed about 1.5 grams and measured 15 millimeters across. Everyday transactions in 19th-century Greece relied on it for buying bread or paying fares. Mintage figures vary by year, but records for many are spotty due to archival losses.

Its edge is plain, not reeded, which made it easy to stack but prone to clipping by unscrupulous types. As for myths, I've heard tales of it being cursed—no truth to that, just copper and history. Collectors sometimes dismiss it as too common; their mistake, really.