The Lt. Columbo Forum

An area where fans from all over can ask each other questions and voice their own ideas and opinions on anything Columbo.

This Forum is fondly dedicated in memory of  "cassavetes45"  (Carleen Zink),
Columbo's greatest fan and a great friend to us all.
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The Lt. Columbo Forum
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Re: Re: coin puzzle

Something to the effect of: You have three(?) bags of coins, one bag contains counterfit coins. The real coins weigh one pound(?) each, the fake ones weigh one pound one ounce each. Using the scale just one time, how do you tell which bag had the fake coins.

Answer: Take one coin from the first bag, two from the second bag and three from the third bag. If they weigh six pounds one ounce the first bag is fake...

That may not be exactly the way it plays out on Columbo, but you get the idea.

coin puzzle

Thank you all for your effort. This is a big help. Unfortunately, I need the exact wording of the puzzle. I don't have access to the tapes or dvd's, but if someone does and is willing to watch that episode, I would greatly appreciate it.

Re: coin puzzle

TFL....thank you!!...I just spent 10 minutes writing down what I remember as the coin puzzle...and it was excruciating!!!....now I don't have to be the one to explain it....you did it perfectly...I would have confused everyone with my reply! Thanks!
I will only add, as a chocolate lover, that since the "gold" pieces that Columbo used were actually gold wrapped chocolates.....I guess he brought them home later and shared them with Mrs. Columbo, since she is the one that he says actually solved the coin puzzle.

Re: coin puzzle

Yes, I remember the puzzle and have have used it several times. It was classified as a "minimum information" puzzle in the episode.

Suppose you have a number of bags of gold (any number you like). In each bag are a number of gold pieces (once again, any number you like). One of the bags contain counterfeit gold pieces that weigh a different amount than the real gold pieces. You have a Penny Scale and one penny. How do you determine which bag contains counterfeit gold?

Re: coin puzzle

As Paul mentioned, the puzzle is listed on this very site.
www.columbo-site.freeuk.com/faq.htm ...it is faq #14 and it has the dialogue from the show.

coin puzzle

Thank you, cassavetes45, this is exactly what I wanted.

Thanks to everyone who helped.

Re: coin puzzle

Great!
As Paul has mentioned before...this site has a lot of info on it. You would be surprised how much stuff is packed on here.

Re: coin puzzle

Thanks Cassa, I knew it was on this site somewhere. I just didn't have time to look for it as I am busy these days! Anyway, you are right, there is so much information on this site and I, and I suppose many others, come to the forum and go away again without taking the time to explore...

Re: coin puzzle

Busy are you, Paul?? Well, that is perfectly understandable!!

Ever since you talked about checking out some of the other stuff I have been doing so. I mean I used to look at some of it when I first found this site...but I have never gotten through it all....there is really a great amount of fun stuff to read and look at. So I thank you for pointing it out.

Re: coin puzzle

Paul, I'm glad you found what you were looking or. And, you're certainly welcome to ask questions on this Forum, where there are lots of knowledgeable and helpful fans.

But, for future reference, it might help you to know that there's a "search" box near the top of the site's home page, and it works pretty well. For example, you could have searched for the word gold -- or puzzle, or coin -- and this would have led you pretty quickly to what you were looking for.

The Search results have an unfortunate way of giving whatever is at the top of the page as the header for your result, which is sometimes confusing. But it also gives you a blurb for the part of the page that you're looking for. So, as I said, it's a worthwhile tool for finding particular information on the site --although, when you're not seeking something specific, it's probably more fun just to browse around.

Hope this helps.

Re: coin puzzle

Oops, I have to correct the part about the site's "search" retrieving the "phony gold" puzzle by looking for the word "coin". Actually, the description talks about "gold pieces", not coins, so "coin" wouldn't work. But the search engine is pretty good.

Re: coin puzzle

Ok, Ted..let me do a little 'tap-dancing'..a little 'tango'...a little 'let me have this dance' .....Paul really wasn't the one to want the info..it was jimmysnyder.....but I can see throughout the posts how you could have been confused....it is ok Maestro!
This site is the best!! And when I searched for the puzzle, at Paul's prompting, it was so very very easy.
Ted..you guys set this whole thing up so well that even cassa can figure it out!!!!

Re: coin puzzle

Thanks Cassa, I was just about to point out that it wasn't me who asked the question but Jimmy. I attempted to answer the question, but without actually being able to provide an answer!

Anyway, great site Ted (and others). Thanks for pointing out the search facility. And as you say, it is a lot of fun just browsing the site.

Re: coin puzzle

Paul, I knew that Jimmy raised the original question, but that question (about the puzzle) had already been answered. I was responding to your comments "I seem to remember that it may be on this site somewhere," and then,"I knew it was on this site somewhere. I just didn't have time to look for it as I am busy these days!".

Well OK, my answer wasn't well-worded, because you didn't say you were looking -- you said you didn't have time to look.

Anyway, no matter, because I just thought it was a good chance to point out, for everyone else's benefit, the "search" feature. It's easy to overlook, or to forget that it's there, so I appreciate the chance to let folks know that it's available. It's great for those pesky moments when you just have to remember something about Columbo and you don't know where to look!

Re: coin puzzle

Well...next time cassa will keep her little pug-nose out of it!!

Re: coin puzzle

Ah, sorry Ted...now I get you. And you are right that the search is a great facility. There is so much information which you and the others have put together on this site and I only really have time to browse when I am at work !! so at busy times like vacations it is great to know that the search exits...