21 Crazy Facts about Money you’ve (Probably) Never Heard Before
Without the money system as we know it, what would this world be?
Stories of triumph and tragedy, kindness and greed, loyalty and lust have always revolved around money and the mad effects it can have on us humans.
Here are 21 crazy facts about money to keep you lightly entertained.
1. The Saltiest Pizza
Did you know?
The first retail transaction using Bitcoin was to buy 2 pizzas for 10,000 coins.
At the time of this transaction, in May 2010, this amount of Bitcoin was only worth around $40.
However, at Bitcoin’s peak price, this could be worth the equivalent of over $550 million dollars!
But why did the man involved not choose to just buy one pizza instead of two and hold on to 5000 Bitcoin?
Apparently he “like(d) having left over pizza to nibble on later”
2010 was a simple time.
Bonus:
In 2014, 50 Cent became the first rapper to offer Bitcoin as a method payment for his new album, Animal Ambition.
With Bitcoin valued at $662 at the time, thousands of tech-savvy fans willingly made the exchange.
Packed with timeless hits, such as “Don’t Worry ‘Bout It” and “Hustler”, the album managed to pull in around 700 Bitcoin.
In line with peak market prices, that amount of Bitcoin could be worth as much as $38 million dollars!
I’m guessing 50 Cent has since lost a few of his Jessie Pinkman-esque super-fans, if only for economic reasons.
2. Make It Rain
Did you know?
Rappers can claim strip club spending as a business expense.
That’s right, tax-deductible lap dances!
Here, rapper The Game explains “the game” to TMZ.
OK, I’m no tax expert but something about this obviously smells fishy.
(And no, I’m not talking about Luscious and Chastity!)
As Forbes explains, “to claim a deduction for business expenses, the Internal Revenue Service requires… that it be ordinary and necessary.”
To say that strip club money is an “ordinary” expense for a rapper is not hard to argue.
But is it really “necessary”?
Apparently, if the expense is deemed an act of advertising or promotion, it is possible to claim for tax purposes.
The Game is not the only one trying to bend the tax rules. After holding a release party for his new single “Swalla” at a strip club, singer Jason Derulo pleaded his case to TMZ that his spending was strictly business baby!
3. C..ash
Did you know?
It is a crime to burn money.
Around the world, the act of burning money can result in large fines and possible imprisonment.
Obviously, the rules are no different in the United States.
But why is it illegal to burn your money?
First, there is a cost involved in re-printing banknotes, making the act of burning money a burden on society.
Second, our banknotes display images of noble and highly respected figures, such as past presidents, kings and queens.
Therefore, you would be showing the utmost disrespect to these people and your country by setting their ugly mugs on fire.
In Thailand, merely standing on money is an illegal act.
However, the chances of being legally prosecuted for burning money is incredibly rare.
In fact, there doesn’t appear to be any known record of anyone serving time for this act.
Some legal experts in the United States claim that defacing printed currency may be treated as an act of protest, like burning the American flag. Thus, it may be considered protected speech and a defensible act under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Either way, I’m sure there are many things you would rather burn before you start lighting up stacks of cash.
Bonus:
In 1995, a British electronic band known as “The KLF” allegedly burned 1 million pounds in cash!
No legal investigation was ever made into the incident.
4. Flaky Brain
Did you know?
There is real gold in your body.
According to The Elements 3rd Edition by John Emsley, the average person’s body, weighing 70 kilograms, would contain a total mass of 0.2 milligrams of gold.
With there being 7.7 billion people on this planet, how much gold exists inside the human race?
If my math is correct, that’s over 1.5 tonnes of gold!
But what is it there for?
Gold plays an important role in the health and maintenance of the joints, as well as being a key element in the transmittal of electrical signals throughout the body.
5. The Devil’s Money
Did you know?
Displayed on the back of the U.S. $100 bill, the clock in the steeple of Independence Hall is set to 4:10.
Why?
According to MoneyFactory.gov, “there are no records explaining why that particular time was chosen.”
But I’m not satisfied with that explanation, so let’s go a little “Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind” here and try connecting some phantom dots.
Here goes…
Matthew 4:10 is a verse from the Bible’s New Testament.
In this verse, Jesus resists the temptations of the Devil.
And what are $100 bills mainly used for?
Peter Sands of Harvard Kennedy School states that “high denomination notes — i.e. $100 bills — play a very limited role in the legitimate economy”, yet “are the payment instrument of choice for those evading taxes, committing crimes, financing terrorism or giving or receiving bribes.”
Are we on to something here?
Given the $100 bill’s common use in illegal transactions, and the lack of ordinary businesses that will even accept banknotes this large, some economists have even called to have these notes removed from circulation.
They propose that this change would cripple money laundering, disrupt lucrative black markets and cause major problems to the criminal underworld.
But who would dare disrespect Benjamin like that?
Side Note: The newer $100 banknotes show the time as 10:30.
I’ll let you go down your own rabbit hole with that one…
6. I Don’t Want Candy
Did you know?
During Argentina’s major coin shortage around 2008, people were often given their change in candy.
The reason for this coin crisis was due to the companies who often accumulated a vast amount of coins, such as major bus companies, turning to the black market to re-sell coins at a profit.
Because of the country’s soaring inflation, it is also alleged that Argentina’s copper coins could be melted down and sold as metal at a higher price than the coin’s actual face value.
Consequently, many businesses displayed signs stating, “NO HAY MONEDAS” (No Coins) and would rather decline a sale if it meant handing over any of their precious coins in change.
In line with unusual forms of currency, according to a NY Mag report, Tide Detergent has often been used as currency for criminals in North America.
Tide Detergent, known as “liquid gold”, has been used by the underworld as an alternative currency system.
Costing around $15 a bottle, this iconic liquid is also a highly “liquid” household commodity, making it very easy to illegally move and re-sell without detection.
At the time of the investigation, it is claimed that a bottle of Tide on the street was worth “$5 cash or $10 worth of weed or crack cocaine”.
I’m no criminal mastermind, but considering the size and weight of a Tide bottle, I don’t recommend trying to stuff one down your pants for a fiver!
Bonus:
Early Romans also used salt, a naturally rare commodity, as a form of money.
In fact, the word “salary” is derived from sal, which literally means “salt” in Latin.
7. The Price to Pay
Did you know?
Pennies and nickels cost more to produce than they are worth.
The U.S. Mint annual report states that it costs around 2 cents to produce and distribute a 1-cent penny, and more than 7 cents for the 5-cent nickel.
To make matters worse, official statistics show that over 11% of Americans would rather throw away a penny than have to carry it around!
In the defense of the helpless penny and nickel, a coin in circulation has an average lifespan of 30 years, while the average dollar bill lasts little more than 6 years.
There are currently no plans to eliminate these worthless coins.
8. A Crash Course in Saving
Did you know?
In the 80’s, American Airlines saved $40,000 a year by simply removing one olive from their first-class salads.
As reported in the NY Times, this small change saved the company the equivalent of almost $150,000 today!
But that’s nothing compared to Northeast Airlines, who in the 1980’s started cutting limes into 16 pieces, instead of 10, for their drinks service.
This was estimated to save the airline up to $500,000 a year!
Although these are creative little cost-cutters, wouldn’t it be much easier for American Airlines to simply shave $40,000 off the enormous annual bonuses of the airline’s super-rich executives?
9. Circle of Life
Did you know?
95% of the new banknotes printed each year replace old notes in circulation.
According to moneyfactory.gov, U.S. notes only have an average lifespan of 5–10 years and must be regularly removed from circulation.
So, where does all that old money end up?
In many cases, the federal government sells shredded currency to companies, allowing it to be recycled for a range of purposes.
For example, some building companies have turned shredded cash into home insulation.
There was even a farm in Delaware that allegedly mulched more than 4 tons of U.S. cash into compost every day!
Here is an example of federal reserve cash being recycled and used for agriculture in New Orleans.
10. Tight Security
Did you know?
In 2018 alone, over $960,000 in unclaimed money was collected at airport security checkpoints across the United States.
According to the official website of the Transportation Security Administration (T.S.A.), this money is most commonly collected from the loose coins that passengers must remove from their pockets.
The most money was collected at JFK International Airport in New York, with almost $200 a day being swindled from their flustered flyers.
The Transportation Security Administration are allowed to keep any money they collect.
The T.S.A. state that they are planning to put the unclaimed money towards checkpoint training “requirements”… whatever that really means.
11. Uniting States
Did you know?
The motto on the first U.S. coin was “Mind Your Business”.
The Fugio cent, designed by Benjamin Franklin, is the first official circulation coin of the United States.
Minted in 1787, the phrase is supposed to be interpreted literally — focus on what you are doing and do it well.
This was a simple message to encourage all citizens of a young United States to do their part in helping the country to grow and prosper.
This message was reinforced on the reverse side of the coin, with a message that simply read “we are one”, surrounded by a chain of 13 rings to represent the 13 original states.
12. Holy Fú…
Did you know?
“Cash” was a type of coin used in ancient China.
Dating back to over 200 years, these coins were round in shape with a square in the middle for allowing them to be tied together.
Cash coins had a very low value and were often carried in strings of 1000 coins. Weighing over 10 pounds, this amount was worth the equivalent of around 50 grams of pure silver at the time.
Based on the current price of silver, this would give 1 cash coin an approximate value of just 4 cents today!
These old imperial coins are now believed to bring good luck in a variety of ways, from attracting money and fortune to even helping to heal sickness.
If you’re seeking a change in fortune, it may be worth getting your hands on a few.
It is believed, however, that the English origins of the word “cash” came from Middle French. It means “money box”.
13. Crim’ Jong-un
Did you know?
North Korea is allegedly the largest state counterfeiter of U.S. currency.
According to a 2009 report, this secretive state was believed to be earning up to $25 million per year over several years from an inside counterfeiting operation.
The money was allegedly being copied using state-owned printing presses that were controlled by highly ranked government officials.
I just wonder what they did with the money?
Was it to buy extra costumes and ribbons for their annual parade?
Did they give it to Dennis Rodman?
Like many things in North Korea, we may never know…
Bonus:
More recently, Peru’s underworld has held the top spot for counterfeiting U.S. currency.
In just one operation in 2016, close to $30 million US dollars were seized in Peru.
14. Poor Pengos
Did you know?
The largest denomination ever printed was in Hungary in 1946 — a banknote worth 100 QUINTILLION pengos!
If you don’t know your big numbers, it looks like this…
100,000,000,000,000,000,000
That’s 100 million trillion.
According to Around the World in 80 Currencies, this ridiculous banknote was the result of one of the worst runs of hyperinflation in history, where average prices in Hungary rose by over 19% per day.
At the time, sadly this amount of pengos was still only worth around $0.20 in $USD.
15. A Real Rat Race
Did you know?
Pablo Escobar, the notorious, cocaine kingpin, is estimated to have lost hundreds of millions in $U.S. dollars to cash-hungry rats.
According to Pablo’s blood brother, Robert Escobar, around 10% of the empire’s cash-heavy earnings were lost or destroyed in storage.
Although this is a crazy amount of money to lose, to be fair he did save a lot more on his taxes.
It is also folklore that Pablo Escobar burned $2 million cash on one cold night to help keep his daughter warm while they were on the run from the Feds (which is illegal, Pablo!)
Bonus:
According to American Chemical Society, up to 90% of the banknotes in the United States contain traces of cocaine.
Life Tip: This fact may be worth using for your defense if you ever happen to fail your company’s random drug testing policy.
16. Death Wish
Did you know?
In 1997, a Louisville woman left the actor Charles Bronson all of her money in a handwritten will — a total of around $300,000!
According to the Seattle Times, this woman had apparently never met him — she was just a lonely fan.
If you don’t know who Charles Bronson is (I’m assuming you’re not that old), he was a certified Hollywood star in the 70’s.
Obviously, the woman’s sister was not happy with this financial arrangement and took legal action against the actor.
Bronson and the sister eventually settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.
Bonus:
According to a Channel 5 News report, Lulu, a small Border Collie dog in Nashville, was left a whopping $5 million in her owner’s will.
According to inside sources, she refuses to discuss what she’s done with the money…
17. Old Bones
Did you know?
Prostitution is considered the world’s oldest profession.
The act of bartering — to exchange goods for other goods or money — obviously dates back far longer. But the exchange of your physical self for money is a reasonably modern concept.
There are accounts of prostitution dating back to the services provided by priestesses in Middle Eastern temples over 4,000 years ago, where sex was exchanged for money — of course, in the context of religious worship.
In renaissance Italy, first-class “service ladies” were widely considered to be the best educated and most cultured women of their time.
These women were able to hold intellectual conversations with their high-class clients. As their influence became so great, these women were able to influence city politics by sharing their views with the politicians among their clientele.
18. Men in Black
Did you know?
The original role of the Secret Service was to protect and stabilize U.S. currency by stopping counterfeiting.
With a reported 30% of the currency in circulation being counterfeit money, Abraham Lincoln established a commission in the 1860’s to fight the problem.
On April 14, 1865, Lincoln signed legislation that formed the Secret Service — the very same day he was assassinated.
Apparently, the signed documents were still sitting on his desk at the time of his death.
Ironically, the Secret Service are now most recognized as the heavily-armed figures in dark shades who stand ready to protect the president at all times.
Bonus:
Considering the enormous responsibility and regimented training required to become an official member of the Secret Service, the average agent makes a mere $67,000 a year.
19. For the Love of Money
Did you know?
The Rothschild’s are allegedly the richest family in history.
This is a family shrouded in secrecy.
Although it is very difficult to find official figures, the Rothschild's are believed to have amassed a wealth that reached somewhere in the trillions in today’s value.
The Rothschild’s were a highly influential banking dynasty that started their global takeover from Frankfurt in the 1760’s.
With one very ambitious father and five very obedient sons, the family quickly became major players in international finance by establishing banking branches in London, Paris, Vienna and Naples — in addition to their native city of Frankfurt.
Apparently, they were also serious in-breeders, with male descendants often marrying first or second cousins.
In his will, father Mayer Rothschild left strict instructions that titles and property could only be passed down through male heirs, which encouraged marriage among relatives to keep their enormous fortune in the family.
20. The Ghost in your Money
Did you know?
The watermark is the most distinguishing security feature of a real banknote.
As I’m sure you’ve discovered, the watermark is the soft figure you can see inside a banknote when held up to the light.
According to PMG Notes, watermarks are formed by adding variations in the thickness of the paper, which affect the tones of lightness and darkness that we see. This is done during the money production process while the paper is still wet.
The watermark is a technique that dates back over 700 years.
Due to the complex nature and cost of pressing quality watermarks, this is the most common way to detect counterfeit money. Almost all fake notes are either missing the watermark or it appears far too obvious.
So, next time you are handed a stack of cash, make sure it’s the real deal.
21. The Mouse’s Cheese
Did you know?
Many communities in the U.S. have their own currency — including Disneyland.
The Disney Dollar is “legal tender” at all Disneyland parks and stores.
This currency was created by the Disney Corporation in 1987 as a way to make spending more fun at the park and offer its die-hard fans yet another collector’s item to hoard in Mom’s living room.
According to ABC News Australia, Disney coins are also legal tender on the pacific island of Niue.
Bonus:
Many consider Somalia to be the country with the weirdest variety of legal-tender coins. They have a series of animal kingdom coins, a one-dollar heavy metal guitar coin, and even 3D money in the shape of pyramids, spheres and cubes.
Extra: Girl’s Best Friend
Did you know?
It is almost impossible to scratch a pure diamond.
Diamond is the hardest substance on Earth. Therefore, the only way to scratch a diamond is to use another diamond!
The immense strength of this rare jewel gives it many industrial purposes, such as the cutting and grinding of solid metals.
Diamonds are billions of years old and made purely of carbon — the same black substance on the tip of your pencil.
Today, there are even two companies currently competing to convert atmospheric carbon (CO2) into solid diamonds.
The biggest diamond ever discovered was in South Africa in 1905. It was a monster, weighing 1.33 pounds.
Scientists have also discovered a planet that they believe is composed mostly of carbon, and is 30% pure diamond. Discovered in 2004, the planet orbits a nearby star in the Milky Way.
Now, if only Elon Musk could figure out a way to get there…
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