There are a lot of fascinating things in numismatics. There are coins from ancient empires, and coins from every corner of the modern world. Coins have survived shipwrecks, or centuries buried underground. There are coins made of precious gold and silver, and from enough other metals to cover a big chunk of the periodic table. And there are coins that.

Though not as pretty as their unblemished counterparts, circulated coins connect us through their everyday use.

This lowly, seemingly insignificant denomination teaches much about history, art and numismatics.