How to turn 51 cents into nothing, and more!

For some reason that I can't quite figure out, tourists in San Francisco are especially fond of penny-stretching machines.

These machines exist in other cities, but in San Francisco, they are EVERYWHERE. You can get a penny with an image of Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, even my friend Sam's apartment. I'm not sure why these pennies are so popular, but I found something more interesting than the answer to that question when I visited Hearst Castle.

That's right. Instead of spending a 51 cents to get a stretched penny, here you can spend $1.25 to get a stretched quarter! Only big shots need apply. This is a rich man's game. What else could be a more obvious sign of wealth and power than this machine?