Henry Ernest Dudeney/Modern Puzzles/11 - The Perplexed Banker

Modern Puzzles by Henry Ernest Dudeney: $11$

The Perplexed Banker

A man went into a bank with $1000$ sovereigns and $10$ bags.

He said,

"Place this money, please, in the bags in such a way that if I call and ask for a certain number of sovereigns

you can hand me over one or more bags, giving me the exact amount called for without opening any of the bags."

How was it to be done?

We are, of course, only concerned with a single application,

but he may ask for any exact number of pounds from $\pounds 1$ to $\pounds 1000$.

Sources

• 1926: Henry Ernest Dudeney: Modern Puzzles ... (previous) ... (next): Arithmetical and Algebraical Problems: Money Puzzles: $11$. -- The Perplexed Banker
• 1968: Henry Ernest Dudeney: 536 Puzzles & Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Arithmetical and Algebraical Problems: Money Puzzles: $7$. The Perplexed Banker