Argent Bizarre

October 3, 2008 9:30 AM

In 1684, the French Crown didn't send Quebec its yearly allotment of currency. Yet, the soldiers needed to be paid.

Jacques De Meulles, the Intendent, decided to collect all the playing cards in Quebec, and turn them into money.

It worked once.

posted by QIbHom (18 comments total)

Our economy is based on a bunch of Jokers.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 9:36 AM on October 3, 2008

I thought this post was going to say the soldiers were paid in filles du roi.
posted by orange swan at 9:38 AM on October 3, 2008 [2 favorites]

I'll still keep my money in mackerel.
posted by Someone has just shot your horse! at 9:49 AM on October 3, 2008 [1 favorite]

I am very disappointed at this oversight in Google's currency conversion system.
posted by mandal at 9:50 AM on October 3, 2008 [10 favorites]

why didn't they just pay them off in poutine?
posted by pyramid termite at 9:52 AM on October 3, 2008

I guess that idea never occurd to them.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 10:00 AM on October 3, 2008 [9 favorites]

A few pics and a little more discussion via the Bank of Canada here. (Heh. I just got to talk about this in a class I taught.)
posted by ~ at 11:05 AM on October 3, 2008

Don't people usually cut up their cards after going into debt?
posted by zamboni at 11:08 AM on October 3, 2008

They've got a few in the Currency Museum in Ottawa, which is where I first ran into them. Great little museum.

Canada has used some odd quasi-currencies. Next week, milk tokens!
posted by QIbHom at 11:11 AM on October 3, 2008

I guess that idea never occurd to them.

it's a good thing sarah palin's running for vp - just in case poutine rears its head into our airspace ...
posted by pyramid termite at 11:16 AM on October 3, 2008 [4 favorites]

Do they not have Crappy Tire money in Quebec?
posted by captaincrouton at 11:59 AM on October 3, 2008

Not in ATMs in Quebec, captaincrouton.
posted by QIbHom at 12:11 PM on October 3, 2008

That might be the first poutine-based pun ever.
posted by rusty at 12:40 PM on October 3, 2008

I wish my economy suffered from an overabundance of beaver.
posted by Citizen Premier at 12:47 PM on October 3, 2008

Rusty, no.
posted by BrotherCaine at 2:07 PM on October 3, 2008

This isn't too odd. US twenties have a joker on them.

I keed, I keed
posted by The Whelk at 5:29 PM on October 3, 2008

That might be the first poutine-based pun ever.

Being the first is big accomplishment... any follow-ups are just gravy.
posted by Slap*Happy at 6:36 PM on October 3, 2008

That might be the first poutine-based pun ever.

Well, I knew it was cheesy, but I figured, fry not?
posted by BitterOldPunk at 8:50 AM on October 4, 2008