Henry Ernest Dudeney/Puzzles and Curious Problems/16 - The Thrifty Grocer

Puzzles and Curious Problems by Henry Ernest Dudeney: $16$

The Thrifty Grocer

A grocer in a small way of business had managed to put aside (apart from his legitimate profits) a little sum in $\pounds 1$ notes, $10 \shillings$ notes, and crowns,

which he kept in eight bags,

there being the same number of crowns and of each kind of note in each bag.

One night he decided to put the money into only seven bags, again with the same number of each kind of currency in every bag.

And the following night he further reduced the number of bags to six, again putting the same number of each kind of note and of crowns in every bag.

The next night the poor demented miser tried to do the same with five bags, but after hours of trial he utterly failed, had a fit, and died, greatly respected by his neighbours.

What is the smallest possible amount of money he had put aside?

Sources

• 1932: Henry Ernest Dudeney: Puzzles and Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Arithmetical and Algebraical Problems: Money Puzzles: $16$. -- The Thrifty Grocer
• 1968: Henry Ernest Dudeney: 536 Puzzles & Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Arithmetical and Algebraical Problems: Money Puzzles: $22$. The Thrifty Grocer