Oaxaca 1 Peso

In 1915, Oaxaca's provisional 1 Peso coin was struck using silver pilfered from melted-down Spanish reales and other scrap, a desperate measure amid the Mexican Revolution's supply shortages.

That makes for a coin that's as much a product of wartime ingenuity as it is currency. The obverse features a simple eagle design, while the reverse lists the state's name and denomination, all on a roughly 27mm planchet that sometimes shows the scars of its recycled origins. I've handled dozens over three decades, and the wear patterns tell stories of hard circulation in chaotic times.

Exact mintage figures? Those went up in smoke with the revolution's records. As for myths about hidden treasures, I've heard them all and they're mostly bunk. One dry note: These coins have outlasted many of the governments that issued them, which is saying something.