There was a time when a single quarter could make you feel like royalty. Drop one into your pocket, walk to the general store, and the world of choices opened up like a treasure chest. For twenty-five cents, you could leave with a chocolate bar, a bag of chips, a bottle of pop, and still have enough left for a handful of mojos — those chewy little candies, two for a penny, wrapped in waxy paper that stuck to your fingers.

It’s almost laughable now, when you can’t even buy a corner of a chocolate bar for the same coin. But back then, a quarter had significance. Not just the sound of metal in your pocket, but the feeling of abundance it symbolized. With twenty-five cents, you didn’t feel poor. You felt free.

At the Co-op lunch counter, childhood math became even more...

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