then Electronics Laboratories, Layman published the game for a year before selling it to Knapp Electric for $200. With the Monopoly name and game then in the public domain, Layman decided to call the game Finance. When the Thuns wanted to patent their game they found the Landlord's Game patent and only copyrighted their rule additions (additional railroads own double rent, Community Chest, paying $50 to get out of jail).
The game is a predecessor to Monopoly.įinance was created by Dan Layman who played, with Louis, Louis and Fred Thun's version of the auction-monopoly games that had been spawned from The Landlord's Game at Williams College in Reading, Pennsylvania. The game also has railroads however, these may not be purchased. The game is based on The Landlord's Game in the movement of pieces around the board, the use of cards, properties that can be purchased, and houses that can be erected on them. Finance, or The Fascinating Game of Finance or Finance and Fortune, is a board game originally released in 1932.
