THE CANTERBURY PUZZLES
ment, embellishment, and extension. Take, for example, magic
squares. These were constructed in India before the Christian
Era, and introduced into Europe about the fourteenth century,
when they were supposed to possess certain magical properties that
I am afraid they have since lost. Any child can arrange the
numbers one to nine in a square that will add up fifteen in
eight ways. But you will see it can be developed into quite a new
problem if you use coins instead of numbers."
He made a rough diagram, and placed a crown and a florin in
two of the divisions, as indicated in the illustration.
Now," he continued, " place the fewest possible current English
coins in the seven empty divisions, so that each of the three
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67.—
The Coinage Puzzle.
columns, three rows, and two diagonals shall add up fifteen
shillings. Of course, no division may be without at least one coin,
and no two divisions may contain the same value."
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