Netherlands 2 Cent Bronze

The Bronze 2 Cent coin of the Netherlands was produced for an impressive 127 years, outlasting multiple monarchs and wars without a single design overhaul.

That consistency meant the same basic image—King William I's profile on early strikes—graced pockets from the Napoleonic era through to World War II. Struck in a bronze alloy of copper and tin, it served as everyday change, often showing wear from constant handling in markets and shops. Mintage figures vary by year, but records for the 1820s were likely incomplete due to administrative disarray.

I've turned over thousands of these in my time, and the myth that they were cursed by some old Dutch alchemist is pure nonsense; they just tarnished like any other bronze. If you're hunting one, expect the 1940s issues to be scarcer, thanks to occupation disruptions. That's all there is to it.