Henry Ernest Dudeney/Puzzles and Curious Problems/34 - The Banker and the Note

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Puzzles and Curious Problems by Henry Ernest Dudeney: $34$

The Banker and the Note
A banker in a country town was walking down the street when he saw a $\pounds 5$ note on the kerb-stone.
He picked it up, noted the number, and went to his private house for luncheon.
His wife said that the butcher had sent in his bill for $\pounds 5$,
and, as the only money he had was the note he had found, he gave it to her and she paid the butcher.
The butcher paid it to a farmer in buying a calf,
the farmer paid it to a merchant
who in turn paid it to a laundry-woman,
and she, remembering that she owed the bank $\pounds 5$, went there and paid the note.
The banker recognised the note as the one he had found,
and by that time it had paid $\pounds 25$ worth of debts.
On careful examination he discovered that the note was counterfeit.
Now, what was lost in the whole transaction, and by whom?


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Sources

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