Category:
Money

Steel Checks

June 1932: The winners of an arc-welding essay contest, sponsored by the Lincoln Electric Company of Cleveland, received their prize checks written on steel plates. The plates were a foot high, an inch thick, and two feet long.

The local bank accepted the checks and then used a gun to cancel them, putting bullet holes in them to spell the word 'PAID'. All the writing on the checks, including the endorsement, was done with a welding torch.

Steel check made out to H.H. Tracy. Note bullet holes.
image source: The Strangest Cases on Record, by J.A. Duncan



There's a community of people who collect unusual checks. So I imagine that these steel checks would be sought after as collectibles. But where are they now?

As of 1940, at least one of the checks was on display in the offices of the Lincoln Electric Company, which is still around. So the company may still have the checks. But after 85 years, who knows.

Los Angeles Daily News - June 14, 1932

Posted By: Alex - Wed Apr 16, 2025 - Comments (2)
Category: Money, Collectors, 1930s

“Pay no income taxes without going to jail”

The title of Phillip Fry's 1975 book, Pay no income taxes without going to jail, was pretty much a direct challenge to the IRS, to which the IRS inevitably responded. It brought charges against him for aiding tax fraud, and in 1986 he was sentenced to five years in jail. And the tax agency's punishment of him didn't stop there:

While Fry was in jail, the IRS audited his and his wife Susan's income tax returns for the years 1977 to 1980. The IRS determined that the Frys owed a substantial amount of taxes and sent them notices of tax deficiencies. The Frys challenged these deficiencies in Tax Court. The Tax Court litigation was resolved adversely to Fry during the pendency of this appeal.

One of Fry's other books was titled Our Lady of Perpetual Deductions and was about how to avoid taxes by claiming to be running a church.

I couldn't find any free copies of his books available online. So if you're interested in benefiting from his advice you'll need to find used copies.

More info: upi.com

Moline Dispatch - Aug 16, 1986



Jackson Citizen Patriot - Jan 17, 1980

Posted By: Alex - Tue Apr 15, 2025 - Comments (2)
Category: Crime, Government, Money

The $300 trillion court judgment

March 1922: Superior Judge J.R. Welch of San Jose, CA ruled that George Jones had to pay Henry B. Stuart a grand total of $304,840,332,912,684.16.

The reason was that in 1897 Stuart had loaned Jones $100, and the two had signed a contract agreeing that the debt would grow by 10% a month, compounded, until paid back.

Jones had then left the state and forgotten about the debt. But Stuart hadn't forgotten, and when Jones returned a quarter century later, Stuart sued him. The judge agreed that the debt was still owed, and by the terms of the original agreement had grown to over $300 trillion.

Of course, Jones promptly declared bankruptcy. But I'm pretty sure the ruling remains the highest court judgment in history. Though because it was essentially a meaningless judgment, it's typically overlooked. For instance, Google AI says that the largest court judgment ever was the $206 billion Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.

Jackson Citizen Patriot - Mar 27, 1922



San Francisco Examiner - Mar 2, 1922

Posted By: Alex - Wed Apr 09, 2025 - Comments (3)
Category: Money, Outrageous Excess, World Records, Lawsuits, 1920s

How to transform silver into gold

The current value of silver is around $32 an ounce. The value of gold is around $2975 per ounce. Being able to turn silver into gold would generate a substantial return.

As it turns out, back in the 1920s the French scientist (and alchemist) François Jollivet-Castelot claimed he could do exactly this, and he shared his method.

If you decide to try it, let us know how it works!

You can find more detailed instructions at FontanaEditore.com.

Kansas City Post - Apr 12, 1923



Jollivet-Castelot in his laboratory

Posted By: Alex - Wed Feb 26, 2025 - Comments (5)
Category: Mad Scientists, Evil Geniuses, Insane Villains, Money, Science, Pseudoscience, 1920s

Queen of National Wallet Week

Cindy Heller, shown below, later became a well-known gossip columnist for the New York Post. She's better known by her married name, Cindy Adams. Her wikipedia page doesn't mention that she was Wallet Week Queen.

Macon News - Nov 9, 1949



Glasgow Evening Journal - Nov 7, 1949



Life - Nov 14, 1949

Posted By: Alex - Mon Jan 27, 2025 - Comments (1)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Money, 1940s

Funny Money


Posted By: Paul - Tue Dec 31, 2024 - Comments (2)
Category: Hoaxes and Imposters and Imitators, Money, Husbands, Wives, 1950s

Miss Credit Union

The earliest 'Miss Credit Union' contest I could find was in 1948. The latest was in 2011. Though I suspect some are still going on, but maybe not calling attention to themselves.

Ottawa Journal - Oct 22, 1957



Hartford Courant - Oct 26, 1960

Posted By: Alex - Fri Nov 15, 2024 - Comments (5)
Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Money

The art collection of the British Rail Pension Fund

Fine art and British Rail may not seem like they have much in common, but for several decades British Rail, through its pension fund, was a major player in the world of fine art. From the
NY Times (Apr 5, 1989):


Between 1974 and 1981, British Rail became Britain's first (and it is believed only) large pension fund to enter the collectibles market, acquiring more than $70 million worth of paintings, prints, drawings, furniture and other top-flight works to supplement more conventional investments as a hedge against inflation, which was extremely high in Britain at the time.

The pension fund began selling its art in 1986, and sold the last of it in 2003.

The Wall Street Journal reported in 1996 that the pension fund made a return of 13.1% per year on its art. Which doesn't seem bad at all. However, its stock portfolio, during the same period, returned 22% a year.

If you're looking for a coffee-table curiosity, there are several books dedicated to the artwork owned by the British Rail pension fund.

More info: "When a railway fund started buying paintings"



Posted By: Alex - Fri Sep 20, 2024 - Comments (0)
Category: Art, Money, Collectors

Money in the chicken coop

Sounds like Albert didn't want his sisters to know about the money in the chicken coop. Perhaps it was his intention for it all to burn after he died.

Atlanta Journal - Dec 15, 1968

Posted By: Alex - Thu Jul 18, 2024 - Comments (2)
Category: Money, Inheritance and Wills, 1960s

Money Card

No need for a subliminal hook for future customers in this one--it's all explicit! Buy American Express Traveler's Cheques.

The entry at Board Game Geek.

Posted By: Paul - Tue Jun 04, 2024 - Comments (0)
Category: Business, Advertising, Games, Money, 1970s, Europe

Page 1 of 14 pages  1 2 3 >  Last ›




weird universe thumbnail
Who We Are
Alex Boese
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.

Paul Di Filippo
Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1.

Contact Us
Monthly Archives
April 2025 •  March 2025 •  February 2025 •  January 2025

December 2024 •  November 2024 •  October 2024 •  September 2024 •  August 2024 •  July 2024 •  June 2024 •  May 2024 •  April 2024 •  March 2024 •  February 2024 •  January 2024

December 2023 •  November 2023 •  October 2023 •  September 2023 •  August 2023 •  July 2023 •  June 2023 •  May 2023 •  April 2023 •  March 2023 •  February 2023 •  January 2023

December 2022 •  November 2022 •  October 2022 •  September 2022 •  August 2022 •  July 2022 •  June 2022 •  May 2022 •  April 2022 •  March 2022 •  February 2022 •  January 2022

December 2021 •  November 2021 •  October 2021 •  September 2021 •  August 2021 •  July 2021 •  June 2021 •  May 2021 •  April 2021 •  March 2021 •  February 2021 •  January 2021

December 2020 •  November 2020 •  October 2020 •  September 2020 •  August 2020 •  July 2020 •  June 2020 •  May 2020 •  April 2020 •  March 2020 •  February 2020 •  January 2020

December 2019 •  November 2019 •  October 2019 •  September 2019 •  August 2019 •  July 2019 •  June 2019 •  May 2019 •  April 2019 •  March 2019 •  February 2019 •  January 2019

December 2018 •  November 2018 •  October 2018 •  September 2018 •  August 2018 •  July 2018 •  June 2018 •  May 2018 •  April 2018 •  March 2018 •  February 2018 •  January 2018

December 2017 •  November 2017 •  October 2017 •  September 2017 •  August 2017 •  July 2017 •  June 2017 •  May 2017 •  April 2017 •  March 2017 •  February 2017 •  January 2017

December 2016 •  November 2016 •  October 2016 •  September 2016 •  August 2016 •  July 2016 •  June 2016 •  May 2016 •  April 2016 •  March 2016 •  February 2016 •  January 2016

December 2015 •  November 2015 •  October 2015 •  September 2015 •  August 2015 •  July 2015 •  June 2015 •  May 2015 •  April 2015 •  March 2015 •  February 2015 •  January 2015

December 2014 •  November 2014 •  October 2014 •  September 2014 •  August 2014 •  July 2014 •  June 2014 •  May 2014 •  April 2014 •  March 2014 •  February 2014 •  January 2014

December 2013 •  November 2013 •  October 2013 •  September 2013 •  August 2013 •  July 2013 •  June 2013 •  May 2013 •  April 2013 •  March 2013 •  February 2013 •  January 2013

December 2012 •  November 2012 •  October 2012 •  September 2012 •  August 2012 •  July 2012 •  June 2012 •  May 2012 •  April 2012 •  March 2012 •  February 2012 •  January 2012

December 2011 •  November 2011 •  October 2011 •  September 2011 •  August 2011 •  July 2011 •  June 2011 •  May 2011 •  April 2011 •  March 2011 •  February 2011 •  January 2011

December 2010 •  November 2010 •  October 2010 •  September 2010 •  August 2010 •  July 2010 •  June 2010 •  May 2010 •  April 2010 •  March 2010 •  February 2010 •  January 2010

December 2009 •  November 2009 •  October 2009 •  September 2009 •  August 2009 •  July 2009 •  June 2009 •  May 2009 •  April 2009 •  March 2009 •  February 2009 •  January 2009

December 2008 •  November 2008 •  October 2008 •  September 2008 •  August 2008 •  July 2008 •