A 3-year-old girl from London turned nearly $2,000 in hundred-dollar bills into an unexpected arts-and-crafts project, leaving her father stunned after discovering the toddler cuts up hundred dollar bills scattered across the living room.
Anthony Kalejaiye, 34, was preparing to head out to a Nigerian family celebration when his unsupervised daughter Amelia found a stack of crisp bills and repurposed them into confetti-style craft materials. The total damage was calculated at $1,800, according to news agency SWNS.
Kalejaiye said he was “shocked and angry” when he walked into his living room to find the chaotic scene. “At first I just didn’t know how to react,” he told SWNS. “Nothing prepares you for this kind of situation!” However, he later learned that the money might be recoverable: if 49 percent of a note and its serial number are intact, the bank can exchange it.
Toddler cuts up $1,800 in hundred-dollar bills for craft project
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According to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, holders of mutilated currency can receive full redemption if more than 50 percent of a note is present along with security features, or if 50 percent or less is present and evidence shows the missing portions were totally destroyed. Kalejaiye’s partner took a video of the incident to the bank, and they were reimbursed in British Sterling Pounds.
The incident taught Kalejaiye an important lesson about home safety. “It really just taught me to keep a closer look at where we keep the cash,” he said.
Sources
- Fox News — reported the father’s account, the daughter’s age, the amount damaged ($1,800), his location (Barking, London), and the recovery process through the bank
- SWNS (news agency) — provided the father’s quotes and details about the incident
- Bureau of Engraving and Printing — confirmed the redemption criteria for mutilated currency
