A check signed by former Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs sold for $46,063 at auction this week. Issued by “Apple Computer Company” in 1976, the $4.01 check was made out to electronics retailer RadioShack.

    • Bears_Koolaid@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      In the US its always been the standard as far as I’m aware. I think its so its impossible to confuse cents for the dollar amount if you have poor handwriting. For example mistaking the value of this check as $401 instead of $4.01

      • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        I was taught, and every check I’ve ever seen before this one has followed what I was taught, to write the amount normally in the top right box, and as a fraction on the bottom where you write out the full amount. This is the first time I’ve seen fractions used in both boxes.

    • protist
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      11 months ago

      Every person who has ever written a check ever. I haven’t written a check in many years though, so I can understand how you aren’t familiar

      • 9point6@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        In the USA maybe

        It’s been a long time since I’ve written a cheque, but it was always decimals in the UK

          • 9point6@lemmy.world
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            11 months ago

            I guess we probably used the old English currency notation, like 10/6d and £1/3/2, but that was long before I was writing cheques.

            Interesting thing with the long form part, we would always do “one hundred and forty five pounds twenty two pence only” the only being used as the sort of end marker to mitigate changes

    • plz1@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      It’s common on the fully written line but I’ve never seen it on the numeric line. He was a weird one.

    • andyspam@sh.itjust.works
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      11 months ago

      As an American, it would be weird for me to see it as a decimal, however I can’t say I’ve ever really thought about it. It’s just “traditional” for checks to be written that way here, and how we’re taught in school.

      • scottywh@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        Also American and I’ve always used decimal in the numerical box and the fraction in the spelled out line.