1914 Morelos 5 Centavos

The 1914 Morelos 5 Centavos was struck by Zapatista forces in the midst of Mexico's Revolution, using improvised minting techniques that often repurposed old silver coins.

That makes for a coin that's as rough around the edges as the era it came from. Records show it was part of a small series issued in Morelos to keep the local economy afloat, but exact mintage figures vanished with the chaos of the time.

We know the design featured a simple agrarian motif, reflecting the state's focus on land reform, but details like the exact alloy remain murky—likely a mix of copper and whatever else was handy. Some specimens turn up with irregular strikes, a testament to the makeshift operations.

Historians argue over whether these tokens ever circulated widely, given the fighting. As for myths, I've heard plenty about hidden Zapata treasures, but that's just collectors' fancy.