Soviet 1945 20 Kopeks

What stands out about the 1945 Soviet 20 kopek coin is that it was minted from zinc sourced from wartime scrap, a desperate measure after the Red Army's factories had been bombed to rubble.

That zinc choice made these coins notoriously prone to corrosion, turning many into pitted relics within a few years. The obverse features a simple hammer and sickle, while the reverse shows the denomination in a plain sans-serif font—nothing flashy, just functional. Production likely occurred at the Leningrad Mint, though exact figures are murky; records from that chaotic period are spotty at best.

Some collectors hunt for examples with the telltale greenish patina, mistaking it for age rather than decay. If you handle one, you'll notice it's lighter than pre-war coins, almost like holding a promise that never quite delivered. Zinc for currency: the metallurgist's equivalent of making do with whatever's left in the pantry.