I have vivid memories of $5 bills.
About 70 years ago, I was a ring bearer in a wedding. I received a thank-you note and a $5 bill. Back then, that was a fair amount of money. In fact, $5 at that time would be worth almost $60 today because of inflation. A 5-year-old kid these days would probably not even be fazed by $60.
About 45 years, I was the big winner in a home nickel- and dime-poker game. I remember the “haul” very well. It was $18 in three $5 bills and three singles. Adjusted for inflation, that is almost $63 in today’s terms.
Around the same time, a very close friend gave me a $5 silver certificate. I still have that — in a very safe place. If you look closely, silver certificates say “$5 in silver payable to the bearer on demand.”
This silver certificate, from 1899, however, is much rarer and valued at over $1,000:
Obviously, times change. Inflation erodes the value of a dollar every day.
These days, $5 bills are common. I collected a small payout just recently from a race and sports book that included three $20s, three $5s, a dollar bill and three quarters. I guess they were short of Hamiltons. The first Secretary of the Treasury might have been offended.
Today in Las Vegas and other locales, poker games are often played with red chips valued at $5 each. It’s common to buy a “stack of red” or twenty red chips worth $100.
I will occasionally tip a $5 bill to one of the better servers at Red Rock Resort. She is extraordinarily pleasant and efficient. And when I slip her a five-spot, her face lights up. It’s worth every penny just to watch her reaction.
The other day, I mowed a neighbor’s yard. He has issues with tall grass and is on the verge of a notice from the HOA. I actually volunteered to do it the first time, but he wanted to pay me. We agreed on a sum. And I mowed it again just recently.
While I waiting, he watched me kick at a dandelion weed in his front yard. He said there were other weeds on the other side of the house, and he asked me if I would get them. Sure, why not, a good job for a common laborer. After I finished, he paid me.
My 20-25 minutes of “volunteer” labor netted me two crisp $5 bills.
