Show Me The Euros! Need to hedge your investments in Europe and increase your holdings in the international gold market? In other words: would you fancy winning a lockable mini-cabinet containing a bag of chocolate Euros, a few chocolate gold bars… and one other lucre-ative little something we’ve found? If so, dive in and have a go at our science-based money quiz. (It’s free, and winnings will not be subject to UK tax.) GOOD LUCK! >>>
	01 When you put your cash card into a cash machine the machine recognises the account and allows you to take out money. How does it recognise the account? A member of staff in the bank picks up the card, reads the numbers and checks them against a list. The account information is held in the black magnetic strip on the back of the card. The machine uses laser light to read your name on the front of the card. The cash machine scans your fingerprints off the keypad and compares them to those on the card. 02 Ordinary paper is made from wood but paper money in the UK is made from cotton and linen. Why? It is traditional to have money made out of fabric - in the middle ages you could buy food by tearing off part of your clothing, so the poorer you were the less clothing you wore. It makes it tougher - the cotton fibres hold together better than wood fibres so the money lasts much longer and can even survive being washed. It is illegal to fold money - cotton and linen do not hold folds as well as paper so this deters likely criminals. It makes it much easier to wash - the Bank of England do this regularly and it is commonly known as money laundering. 03 The Royal Mint say that a £1 coin could be squashed by a weight of approximately 55 tonnes. To squash a coin what would you need to stand on it? 10 large African elephants. 10 Polar bears. 1000 shrews. 2 people. 04 Which scientist is on the new £10 note? Charles Darwin. Edward Elgar. Albert Einstein. Anne Robinson. 05 When did the first fully printed paper money appear in the UK? 10,000 BC - bartering with beads was rapidly replaced with printed bank notes. 878 - Alfred the Great burnt his cakes and then decided that it would be a good idea to make money that burnt easily too. 1855 - before this every single bank note was signed by hand by the cashiers at the Bank of England. 1971 - when decimal currency was introduced it was decided that the hand written notes should be updated to a more convenient printed version. 06 What are Australian bank notes made out of? Koala bear skin - these animals are becoming endangered so the notes themselves are actually worth more than the value marked on them. Eucalyptus leaves - in Australia money really does grow on trees. Plastic – it is thought to last longer than many other materials and is washable. There are no Australian bank notes - people pay with coins or cheques. 07 What are the main metals present in a ten pence piece? Uranium and Steel. Sodium and Chlorine. Copper and Nickel. Tin and Carbon. 08 What is the largest value bank note currently in general use? 500 Euro - this new note has become the largest note in circulation, it's worth just over £300 Sterling. 500 Swiss Francs - this can buy you enough Swiss chocolate to cover the Alps. 1000 Hong Kong Dollars - this is also physically the largest bank note and is large enough to be used as a tablecloth. 10,000 Yen - this is the size and shape of a bank note but it is made of engraved steel so many people consider it to be a coin. 09 The currency of Zambia is the Kwacha. £1 sterling is worth about 6,000 Kwacha. If you had 1,200,000 Kwacha what could you buy? A chocolate bar. A new games console. A brand new Ferrari. An enormous house, with swimming pool. 10 Which of the following coins can you still use today Farthing. Half-crown. Sovereign. Sixpence. Back to Quizzes & Competitions