1861 10 Centavos Colombia

In 1861, Colombia's 10 Centavos coin was struck from copper planchets, often recycled from scrapped military equipment, as the nation scraped together materials during ongoing conflicts.

That makes it a practical artifact of a turbulent era, not some romantic symbol. The obverse typically shows a coat of arms with the republic's stars and mountains, while the reverse lists the denomination and date. Variations exist due to inconsistent minting at the Medellín facility, which operated under makeshift conditions.

We don't know the exact mintage; records from that period were spotty, likely destroyed in later upheavals. What we do have are survivors in varying states of wear, from polished proofs to battered circulators.

Some folks think these coins are rare as hen's teeth, but that's exaggeration—plenty turn up in estate lots.