Hope and Change - Futility Closet

Just stumbled across this in an 1889 newspaper:

To those who love mathematics, here is a simple problem for you to figure out: A man purchased groceries to the amount of 34 cents. When he came to pay for the goods he found that he had only a $1 bill, a 3-cent piece and a 2-cent piece. The grocer, on his side, had only a 50-cent piece and a quarter. They appealed to a bystander for change, but he, although willing to oblige them, had only two dimes, a 5-cent piece, a 2-cent piece and a 1-cent piece. After some perplexity, however, change was made to the satisfaction of everyone concerned. What was the simplest way of accomplishing this?

($1 is worth 100 cents, a quarter 25 cents, and a dime 10 cents.)

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No solution is given, but this seems to work: The customer gives the $1 bill and a 2-cent piece to the grocer and the 3-cent piece to the bystander. The bystander gives the 2 dimes and the 1-cent piece to the customer and the 5-cent and a 2-cent piece to the grocer. The grocer gives the 50-cent piece to the customer and the quarter to the bystander. This leaves the customer 34 cents poorer, with 71 cents; the grocer 34 cents richer, with 109 cents; and the bystander unchanged, with 28 cents.

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