Escape RoomRiddle #1396
A riddle on a piggy bank: 'Using only pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters, as many of each as you like, what's the most money you can hold without being able to make exactly one dollar?' The three-digit code is that amount in cents. What is it?
Hint: Push each coin as far as it can go. How many quarters can you hold before four of them make a dollar?
Answer
119
Three quarters, four dimes and four pennies make $1.19, and no handful of them adds to exactly $1.00. A brute-force search over every mix of coins confirms nothing above 119 cents avoids making a dollar.
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