Alfonso XIII 1 Peseta

Alfonso XIII's 1 Peseta coins were struck while he was still in diapers, beginning in 1897 when the king was barely out of the nursery.

These silver pieces, weighing around 5 grams and measuring 23 mm across, carried his youthful profile on the obverse—a design that persisted through his minority and beyond. The reverse typically showed Spain's coat of arms, encircled by the denomination and date. Mintage figures vary by year, but records from the early 1900s are spotty, lost in bureaucratic shuffles we won't pretend to unravel.

One oddity: the coins kept circulating even as Spain's empire crumbled, outlasting colonies like Cuba. That's currency for you—more enduring than empires.

Proofing errors cropped up occasionally, like misaligned strikes, which numismatists like me spot without much fuss. If you're handling one, check the edge for the incused lettering; it's often worn smooth from pocket change.