1914 Imperial 15 Kopeks

The 1914 15 kopeks coin was struck amid the chaos of World War I, using silver that Russian authorities had to scrounge from dwindling reserves.

That makes it a snapshot of imperial finances on the brink. The obverse bears the profile of Tsar Nicholas II, his stern features etched with the precision typical of Saint Petersburg Mint work. The reverse shows the double-headed eagle, a symbol that would soon lose its meaning.

We don't know the exact mintage figures; records from that era are spotty, likely lost in the revolution's upheaval. What we do have are coins in various conditions, from worn circulation pieces to pristine examples that suggest careful hoarding.

Some numismatists quip it's the coin that predicted the ruble's fall, but that's stretching it.