Category:
Money

Effective Emulation

A simple, psychological trick maximizes church giving:

The ushers, with contribution plates, started on their rounds. The evangelist said she had instructed them to say "Amen" whenever 25 cents was dropped into the plate; when 50 cents the usher was to say "Hallelujah!" and when $1 the usher was to say "Glory hallelujah!" in a loud tone. The collection amounted to $1,100...

the evangelist knew that no person with money to give would be content with an "Amen" when a neighbor, sitting in the next pew, was acclaimed with a "Glory hallelujah!"

New York Times - May 18, 1919

Posted By: Alex - Wed Aug 18, 2021 - Comments (3)
Category: Money, Religion, Psychology

Yachtley Crew

Yachtley Crew is the Nations first-class tribute to the best soft rock of the 70's and 80's also known as "yacht rock"


Their home page.





Posted By: Paul - Wed Jul 14, 2021 - Comments (3)
Category: Money, Music, Parody

Widow wills millions to help pay U.S. debt

In 1960, the late Mrs. W.L. Clayton reportedly left $25 million in her will to the U.S. government to help pay down the national debt.

The amount she left for this purpose may have been unusually large, but it turns out that leaving behind money to help pay off the national debt isn't unusual. The Associated Press reports that, every year, the U.S. government receives about $1 million in bequests to help with the national debt. And since 1961, it's received $100 million.

However, the AP also notes that all these bequests, though well-intentioned, are "pointless" and "essentially, useless". This isn't just because the amounts are like a drop in the ocean compared to the size of the national debt. It's because: "The donations are recorded on the receipts ledger of the federal government’s general fund. So, rather than actually paying down the national debt, these donations just reduce the amount of money our government will borrow."

Los Angeles Times - Jan 30, 1960

Posted By: Alex - Sat Apr 24, 2021 - Comments (0)
Category: Government, Money

Jazzercise

The Wikipedia page.











Posted By: Paul - Sun Apr 18, 2021 - Comments (1)
Category: Exercise and Fitness, Fads, Money, Music, 1960s, 1980s

Your Money Or Your Kid!



Source.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Dec 27, 2020 - Comments (6)
Category: Education, Money, 1930s, Europe

Midget Coins

1935: The U.S. Treasury considered introducing a "midget coin" that would be worth one-tenth of a cent. It would have been called the "mill". The idea was that people could use it to pay the sales tax on small purchases. As we've seen in a previous post, the sales tax often came out to fractions of a cent. However, Congress nixed the idea.

The only businesses that continue to charge tenths of a cent are gas stations. And apparently they began doing that back in the '30s because of the fractional sales tax.

More info: Wikipedia

Baltimore Evening Sun - Aug 7, 1935



Fort Worth Star Telegram - Aug 2, 1935

Posted By: Alex - Mon Dec 07, 2020 - Comments (1)
Category: Money, 1930s

Strange Personal Checks






Source.

Posted By: Paul - Fri Dec 04, 2020 - Comments (7)
Category: Animals, Eccentrics, Food, Money, Pranks and Revenge, 1960s

Doctor needs money

An unusual list of what a country doctor in 1924 was willing to accept as payment. I wonder if my doctor would accept some goose feathers and soft-shell turtles as a co-pay?

St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Mar 13, 1924



Letter sent out by a doctor at Paige, Tex.:

I expect a prompt settlement of all accounts due me. If not possible to settle in cash, any of the following named articles will be acceptable, viz.:
Cotton seed, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, billygoats, live catfish over 1 lb. each, bulldogs, registered bird dogs, skunk hides (dry), deer hides, shotguns, cedar posts, watches, gold teeth, diamonds, cream checks, pine trees (2 ft. in diameter, 30 ft. long), automobiles, new or secondhand; peanuts, black-eyed peas, Liberty Bonds, land notes, bacon, lard, country hams, clean goose feathers, soft-shell turtles over 5 lbs. each. Anything that can be sold for cash legally.
I need the money.

I have no idea what "cream checks" are. Google doesn't provide an answer.

Posted By: Alex - Tue Oct 27, 2020 - Comments (4)
Category: Medicine, Money, 1920s

US Fractional Currency, or, Paper Coins

Fractional or postage currency has a rich history. At the beginning of the Civil War people starting hoarding coins for their precious metal content. Coins became difficult to find because of the hoarding. People started to try to use stamps instead of coins as a means of commerce. The government decided to help ease the hoarding issue by issuing “paper coins” also known as postage currency or fractional currency. Fractional currency was first issued on August 21, 1862 and they were last issued on February 15, 1876. Three cents, five cents, ten cents, twenty-five cents, and fifty cents notes were all issued. Fractional currency is physically smaller than other United States money. It also does not have a serial number.


More info here. And lots more pictorial examples.

Posted By: Paul - Fri Sep 25, 2020 - Comments (0)
Category: Money, Nineteenth Century

The rare 1943 copper penny

1943 copper pennies are among the most-sought after coins by collectors. In 2010, one of them sold for $1.7 million. Although around $200,000 seems to be what most of them fetch.



The reason for their value is that so few of them exist. In 1943, due to the war, pennies were made out of zinc-coated steel. But somehow approximately 40 copper ones were made by accident.

For several decades the US Mint denied the existence of 1943 copper pennies (see news clipping below). It wasn't until a few showed up, and were authenticated by experts, that the mint changed its tune. Now it states:

Approximately 40 1943 copper–alloy cents are known to remain in existence. Coin experts speculate that they were struck by accident when copper–alloy 1–cent blanks remained in the press hopper when production began on the new steel pennies.

Some strange rumors have circulated about the 1943 copper pennies. Such as that if you found one the Ford motor company would give you a free car. Not true, though if you find one, you could afford to buy quite a few cars. And a few of these pennies are potentially still in circulation.

More info: definition.org

Battle Creek Enquirer - Mar 7, 1963

Posted By: Alex - Mon Jul 13, 2020 - Comments (3)
Category: Money, Collectors, 1940s

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Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes.

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