In 2008, the U.S. Mint introduced a program that allowed people to buy $1 coins at face value while the government covered standard shipping. Many customers quickly realized they could purchase thousands of dollars’ worth of coins with rewards credit cards, deposit the coins into their bank accounts, and use the funds to pay off their credit card balances, earning airline miles at little to no actual cost. After multiple efforts to stop the practice, the U.S. Mint ended credit and debit card payments for the program in July 2011, effectively shutting down one of the most famous rewards loopholes in financial history.(Historic Vids)