1989 1 Cruzado Novo Brazil

The 1989 1 Cruzado Novo was minted amid Brazil's frantic currency reforms, an attempt to lop off three zeros from the old Cruzado and stabilize an economy spiraling into hyperinflation.

That didn't last. Issued in early 1989, the coin features a simple design: the national coat of arms on one side, with the value and date on the reverse, all struck in aluminum to cut costs during the crisis. Records on exact mintage figures are spotty; what we have suggests millions were produced, but precise numbers vanished with bureaucratic reshuffles.

Brazil's sixth currency change in a decade meant this coin was obsolete by early 1990, replaced by the Cruzado yet again. If you ask me, after handling these for years, it's a stark reminder that not every coin tells a tale of triumph.