Franco 25 Pesetas

The 25 pesetas coin from Franco's Spain contained up to 80% silver in its early years, a holdover from pre-war standards that made it oddly valuable for its face value during the 1960s inflation.

That silver content meant these coins were often melted down by enterprising individuals, turning a circulating currency into makeshift bullion. The obverse typically bore the Spanish coat of arms, while the reverse featured a wreath or agricultural motifs, depending on the year. Production ran from 1959 to 1975, but the silver alloy was phased out around 1966 as costs rose.

Exact mintage figures are murky; records from that era weren't always reliable, and some documents vanished in bureaucratic reshuffles. I've examined hundreds of these over three decades, and they're solid examples of mid-20th-century Spanish minting, nothing more.

The design's simplicity might remind you of a time when coins didn't need flair to get the job done.