Episode 416: Why The Price Of Coke Didn't Change For 70 Years

Listen 19:07

• Playlist
• Download
• Embed Embed" /> Close embed overlay iframe src="http://www.npr.org/player/embed/456410327/456550228" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
• Transcript

Save this episode to Stitcher: Listen to this later on Stitcher Mike Fisher/Flickr

Prices go up. Occasionally, prices go down. But for 70 years, the price of a bottle of Coca-Cola didn't change. From 1886 until the late 1950s, a bottle of Coke cost a nickel.

On today's show, we find out why. The answer includes a half a million vending machines, a 7.5 cent coin, and a company president who just wanted to get a couple lawyers out of his office.

Download the Planet Money iPhone App. Music: "I'd Like To Buy the World a Coke" and Joey Diggs' "Always Coca Cola." Find us: Twitter/ Facebook/ Spotify/ Tumblr.

Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit NPR.