Henry Ernest Dudeney/Puzzles and Curious Problems/36 - The Flagons of Wine

by : $36$

 * The Flagons of Wine
 * A quart of Burgundy costs $4 \shillings 9 \oldpence$, but $3 \oldpence$ is returnable on the empty flagon,
 * so that the Burgundy seems to be worth $4 \shillings 6 \oldpence$
 * For $12$ of the capsules with which each of the quart flagons is sealed, a free flagon of the same value is obtained.


 * What is the value of a single capsule?
 * Obviously a twelfth of $4 \shillings 6 \oldpence$ which is $4 \tfrac 1 2 \oldpence$


 * But the free flagon also has a capsule worth $4 \tfrac 1 2 \oldpence$, so that this full flagon appears to be worth $4 \shillings 10 \tfrac 1 2 \oldpence$,
 * which makes the capsule worth a twelfth of $4 \shillings 10 \tfrac 1 2 \oldpence$, or $4 \tfrac 7 8 \oldpence$,
 * and so on ad infinitum, with an ever-increasing value.


 * Where is the fallacy, and what is the real worth of a capsule?