Alfonso XIII 50 Centimos

This 50 centimos coin features Alfonso XIII as a three-year-old boy, a portrait struck when he was already king, which is as odd as it sounds for pocket change.

Made from copper, it entered circulation during Spain's late 19th-century reforms, with designs that included the young monarch's profile on one side and the national coat of arms on the other. Production spanned from 1889 to 1931, though exact mintages vary by year and some records were lost in bureaucratic muddles. I once handled a well-worn specimen from 1895; the metal had that familiar reddish patina from decades in circulation.

Variants exist, like those with different edge inscriptions, but details on precise die variations remain murky. If you're chasing one, check for the Madrid mint mark—it's the real deal, not some modern fake.

Collectors sometimes overlook these for flashier gold pieces, but that's their loss.