Another weird multiculti twist: the US mint is cashing in (literally) on “8” mania with its Prosperity Collection of collectibles. All feature dollar bills with serial numbers prominently featuring the number “8” (sourced from Fed #8, in St. Louis) and generous splashes of red. Puts a new spin on “lucky money,” I suppose.

If they were really smart, they’d market these through Chinese-owned banks as well — red envelopes of lucky money are particularly popular at New Year but also given throughout the year as token gifts.