Swiss 10 Rappen

The Swiss 10 Rappen coin has been minted continuously since 1850, outlasting everything from the Franco-Prussian War to the rise of the euro.

That's no small feat for a piece of copper-nickel barely larger than a thumbnail. Early versions aligned with the Latin Monetary Union, sharing standards with French and Italian coins, which helped stabilize Switzerland's economy during turbulent times. Over the decades, designs evolved—starting with simple shields and crosses, then adding inscriptions like the mint year—but the core remained pragmatic.

We don't know exact mintage figures for every year; records for the 19th century are spotty at best. What I can say is that by the 1930s, production ramped up for everyday use, and it's still circulating today. It's seen more Swiss winters than I have.

Variations exist, from wartime alloys to modern security features, but it's fundamentally a workhorse coin.