Not up in smoke

As owner of the Havannibal Cigar Company in Hannibal, Wesley Knapp enjoys seeing one of his customers savoring a fine cigar. What he doesn’t like is to see their hard-earned money going up in smoke. That is why Knapp is seeking the owner of a $50 bill that has proven to be far more valuable than its face value.
According to Knapp, his wife, Rhonda, was manning the shop one recent evening when a man came in to purchase some cigars. When the items proved to be more than he had cash for he went to a waiting vehicle where his wife gave him the $50. The bill had apparently been given the woman by her grandfather.
“She was willing to let it go because she had taken it to a bank and they said it was only worth $50. They paid for the items and left,” said Knapp.
When he arrived at the shop, Knapp was advised of what had transpired and shown the $50 bill.
“I was like ‘Holy cow, that’s got to be worth some money.’ I started checking on the Internet and found it has a pretty high value, anywhere from $500 to $1,500 depending on its condition,” he said. “I said, “It’s not right to keep it.’ These people would have never given it to us if they thought it was worth any more than $50. Once I knew that it was only fair to try and find them and get it back to them.”
Knapp, who believes the man was a newcomer to the store and is likely an area resident, is confident that when the currency’s proper owners show up there will be no trouble in picking them out.
“My wife could definitely identify them,” he said. “We know what type of vehicle they had and its color.”
While many people would have just pocketed the $50, Knapp says it’s only right to return the cash.
“That’s just how people are in a small town,” he said.