Made the Papers™A Hidden Lens History game
November 8, 2026
Today’s ThemeMoney Makes the News

Made the Papers™

Five rounds. Two strange stories each. Only one made the paper. Choose which one you think is real, then see the proof.

The receipt · Original newspaper headline
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🔥 Streak: 0

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Read the real stories · Spoilers

The five historical items from this edition, with their newspaper proof. Play first if you want to guess.

Round 1 · Historical item

Businessman Campaigns for Seven-and-a-Half-Cent Coins

Soft-drink businessman Edward Mehren promoted intermediate coin values, including a 7½-cent coin. He argued that smaller price steps could help consumers. The newspaper covered his campaign; it did not report that these coins entered general circulation.

Businessman Campaigns for Seven-and-a-Half-Cent Coins

Daily News · 1950-03-30

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Round 2 · Historical item

Wallet Buyers Mistake a Sample Social Security Number for Their Own

A wallet’s sample Social Security card used a real secretary’s number. The article described thousands of people treating the display number as their own, creating years of administrative confusion. Hilda Witcher was eventually assigned a different number.

Wallet Buyers Mistake a Sample Social Security Number for Their Own

Finger Lakes Times · 1977-04-07

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Round 3 · Historical item

Pharmacist Buys a New Car With 433,000 Pennies

Norman Rondeau paid for a new car with 433,000 pennies, transported in 86 cloth sacks. The report said he had saved customers’ pennies for four years. That is $4,330 in a particularly inconvenient form.

Pharmacist Buys a New Car With 433,000 Pennies

News Journal · 1978-01-06

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Round 4 · Historical item

Bank Robbers Tunnel Into a Woman’s Bathroom by Mistake

A Dublin gang dug toward a bank during Easter weekend but emerged in a woman’s bathroom instead. The report said they fled after the mistake. It was an ambitious route to the wrong destination.

Bank Robbers Tunnel Into a Woman’s Bathroom by Mistake

The Commercial Appeal · 1985-04-10

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Round 5 · Historical item

Burglar Leaves Notes Complaining That the Safe Is Too Hard to Open

A Sarasota burglar emptied a restaurant cash drawer, then failed to open a money box or break the cement around a safe. He left notes expressing frustration at both obstacles. His written performance review survived his departure.

Burglar Leaves Notes Complaining That the Safe Is Too Hard to Open

The Plain Dealer · 1970-04-09

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