Russian 1996 1 Kopek

The 1996 1 kopek coin from Russia was minted on thin aluminum planchets during a year when inflation hit 22 percent, rendering a coin worth less than a subway token almost immediately obsolete.

That didn't stop the mint from producing them in standard fashion, with the double-headed eagle on the obverse and the denomination on the reverse. The design echoed Soviet-era coins but with subtle updates for the post-1991 era. We don't have precise mintage figures, as records from that chaotic period are spotty.

What surprises me, after handling thousands of these, is how such a lightweight piece—barely thicker than a thumbnail—managed to circulate at all. Inflation had already chewed up its value by the time it hit pockets.

Plenty of myths swirl around Russian coins from the 90s, like secret codes in the eagle's feathers. Ignore them; it's just a straightforward, unassuming bit of currency.