1967

The month following closure of its on-site Bullpen casino, the Nevada State Prison sold the brass coins that inmates had used for decades (since 1932) for wagering and as currency. Sets, containing one coin of each denomination — $0.05, $0.10, $0.25, $0.50, $1 and $5 — went for $30 to $50 apiece, depending on their condition.

Proceeds went to the facility’s Inmate Welfare Fund, which subsidized recreational activities.

Commercial Hotel, Elko, Nevada in the 1920s

1925

Newton “Newt” Crumley, Sr., Goldfield, Nevada resident, met with William Doyle in September to discuss purchasing from him the Commercial Hotel in Elko, but they couldn’t agree on a price. Doyle wanted $5,000 more than what Crumley wanted to pay. No deal was done.

A month later, they reconnoitered and, still haggling, flipped a coin over the difference.

It’s unknown who won the toss, but Crumley bought the property for $70,000 (about $960,000 today).