Occupation 1 Mark

This 1 Mark coin from German-occupied Poland was struck from zinc, a hasty substitute when copper supplies vanished amid the chaos of World War I.

That choice reflected the occupiers' scramble for any available metal, turning what might have been a proper silver piece into something as durable as a tin can. Production ran from 1917 to 1918 in various German mints, though exact figures remain murky—most records burned in postwar upheavals. The obverse typically bore a simple imperial eagle, while the reverse noted the denomination in a no-nonsense script.

As for myths, I've heard plenty about these being rare treasures; they're not, just everyday tokens for bread and beer. Some variants show die cracks from rushed minting, a flaw that amuses more than it should.