1913 Mexico 5 Pesos

The 1913 5 Pesos gold coin was struck in Mexico City amid the chaos of the revolution, using .900 fine gold recycled from earlier issues to keep the mint operating.

That decision reflected the government's desperate pragmatism, as supplies dwindled and battles raged outside the foundry doors. The coin's design, featuring a defiant eagle clutching a serpent, remained unchanged from pre-revolutionary standards, weighing about 3.73 grams.

Mintage numbers? They vanished in the fires of that turbulent year, so no one knows for sure. One could quip that these coins were as fleeting as the alliances they funded.

Variations exist, some with faint strikes due to worn dies, but that's all speculation based on what's surfaced in collections over the decades.