LEROYPENNYSAVER&NEWS - JANUARY 24, 2016
MoldOfGold
byLynneBelluscio
I was reading through some
oldJell-Oads lastweekandcame
across an ad for a contest that
Jell-Ooffered in1964. (Thatwas
the year that Jell-O closed inLe-
Roy.) “Just fill in the entry blank
and send it alongwith the fronts
of 4 packages of Jell-O Gelatin
Dessert. You could easily be the
winner. You could be lucky and
win $25,000.” That was the first
prize and it was the actual value
ofa40-poundmoldof solidgold.
Therewere4,049otherprizes,
including4newPontiacTempest
Custom 4-door sedans with air
conditioning; 5 Evinrude boats,
with60hpmotors;15RCAVictor
homeentertainmentcenters–with
color television, stereo, hi-fi and
AM/FM radios;25Westinghouse
frost-free refrigerator-freezers;
100 Revere Eye-Matic 35mm
cameras and 3,000 Schick cord-
less electric toothbrushes. Now
there was a contest!! You could
also clip out a coupon worth 7
cents toward your next purchase
of 4packages of Jell-O.
So I was curious about the
valueof40poundsofgold today.
So I called John Cooper at Coo-
per’s Coin Shop on Mill Street.
What followed was a lesson in
troyounces, troypounds, and the
avoirdupois pound. (There is no
explanation about which kind of
pound they used to measure the
MoldofGold.)
Gold and precious metals are
measured in troy ounces, which
apparently dates back to the
Roman monetary system. Flour,
butter andother commodities are
measured in avoirdupois pounds
andounces. A troyounce is 1/12
of a troy pound. A avoirdupois
ounce is 1/16 of a avoirdupois
pound. (Stick with me here.
I’m trying to come up with an
answer.) Since we don’t know
if the Jell-OMold of Gold was
measured in troy ounces or av-
oirdupois ounces, theremight be
twodifferent answers. (Iwonder
if the newmathwouldmake this
any easier?)
Before I learnedabout the troy
ounceand theavoirdupoisounce,
I figured 40 times 16would give
me thenumberorouncesand then
Iwouldmultiply thatby theprice
ofgold. So thatwas640avoirdu-
pois ounces times $1,090 which
is $697,600. But that is wrong,
becausegold is calculated in troy
ounces. So if it was troy ounces
then it was 40 times 12 which
equals 480 times $1,090 which
equals $523,200 - - - I think.
I lookedup thepriceofgold in
1964 at it was running between
$35 and $39 an ounce - - a troy
ounce. So if I do some more
math - - I think that themold of
goldwasmeasured inavoirdupois
pounds. I think that’sas faras I’m
goingwith this. Soooo
In keeping with the Mold of
Goldand theHistoricalSociety’s
2016Membership Drive we are
offering - - no not a Mold of
Gold - - but a Mold of Nickels.
If you become a newmember of
the Historical Society, you will
be entered in a drawing to win
a Mold of Nickels. Consolation
prizes include Jell-O t-shirts,
Jell-Opot holders, Jell-Opencils
- - (unfortunatelywedonot have
Jell-O toothbrushes.)
Just fill out the membership
formandsend inacheckandmail
it to: PO Box 176, LeRoy NY
14482.Youwill automaticallybe
entered into theMoldofNickels.
All members receive free ad-
mission to the Jell-O Gallery
and LeRoy House; a quarterly
newsletter; adiscount coupon for
theMuseumShopand twopasses
to the Jell-O Gallery to give to
friends or family.
Join today and help support
the local historical society. If
you are interested in a business
membership,pleasecall theoffice
andwewill send you a business
membership form.
Hands-On-History –
Each student at the Wolcott Street
School from kindergarten through fourth grade visits
LeRoyHouse twice a year for awide variety of programs.
Visit LeRoy –
Thousands of visitors come to the Jell-O
GalleryandLeRoyHouse.Go toTripadvisorand seewhat
they have to say. And after they visit, they eat at our local
restaurants, buy gas, and visit our local farmmarkets and
shops onMainStreet.
BringingHistoryHome–
Eachyear theHistoricalSociety
acquiresobjectsandarchivalmaterials that arepart of our
local history. This past yearweacquiredCivilWar papers,
rarephotographsandJell-Oadvertising.Wealsobought a
very significant collectionof InghamUniversity paintings.
LivingHistory –
For the past three years, the peoplewho
lived in LeRoy House share their stories through a living
historyweekend.
THEL
E
ROYHISTORICALSOCIETY
23EastMainStreet, LeRoy,NY 14482-0176
ANNUALMEMBERSHIPDUES
Jan. 1,
-Dec. 31,
❒
Family ................................35.00
❒
Individual or Sen. Cit.........25.00
❒
Sustaining ..........................50.00
❒
Supporting........................100.00
❒
Life (Individual)...............400.00
❒
Enclosed is an additional
contribution of:
NAME
ADDRESS
E-MAIL
TELEPHONE
Youmay charge yourmembershipanddonation - VISAorMASTERCARD
Contributions tonon-profit Educational Institutions are tax deductible.
Pleasemake checks payable to "TheLeRoyHistorical Society".
#
exp. date
Membership in theLeRoyHistorical Society entitles you to:
QuarterlyNewsletter
AccessToGenealogical ResearchLibrary
Special Events
FreeAdmission toLeRoyHouse and
Jell-OGallery
Special Christmas SaleDiscount
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