You are bidding on a vintage 1940s lottery ticket - "Treasure Card" "5-Day Play" - back mentions it having something to do with the Herald Tribune
This item is a vintage "Treasury Card" lottery ticket from March 26, 1948, priced at 50 cents.
- The card features the number "69294" and a "5-Day Play" format.
- Included is a "Weekly Report" card showing prize payout structures for that week.
- Such items are classified as gambling collectibles from the mid-20th century.
- The ticket indicates a "Circle Winning No." for the week ending March 26, 1948.
This
"Treasury Card" and its accompanying
"Weekly Report" (dated March 26, 1948) are fascinating pieces of post-WWII ephemera likely linked to a newspaper-sponsored promotion by the
New York Herald Tribune.
What is this?
During the 1940s, major newspapers like the Herald Tribune used these "games" to boost circulation and reader engagement.
- The "5-Day Play": This was a contest where participants would check their "Playing Number" (here, 69294) against financial figures published daily in the newspaper.
- The "Treasury" Link: The game’s winning numbers were typically derived from the last few digits of the daily U.S. Treasury Balance
or "Treasury Receipts" published in the paper's financial section. This
provided a "transparent" and tamper-proof source for the daily numbers.
- The Weekly Report:
This card acted as a "scorecard" or results sheet. It lists the winning
sequences for Monday through Friday of that specific week and outlines
the payout amounts for various winning combinations (e.g., matching
"Five Nos." could win $1,000, while smaller matches like "Last 3" paid
$1.00).
Historical Context
- Post-War Marketing: In 1948, the New York Herald Tribune was in a fierce rivalry with The New York Times. Promotions like these were critical for maintaining their subscriber base.
- Cost of Play: The 50¢ price on the card was quite substantial for 1948—equivalent to roughly $6.50 today.
- Legality:
To avoid being classified as an illegal lottery, these were often
marketed as "games of skill" or "subscription premiums," though they
functioned very much like a modern daily numbers game.
Interesting Detail: Notice the "No. 20" on the card; this suggests it was part of a series, and the specific week ending March 26, 1948, puts this card right in the heart of the Herald Tribune's peak era before its eventual decline and merger in the 1960s