Mark Twain wrote a short

 Mark Twain wrote a short story in 1893 "The Million Pound Bank Note". The story takes place in Victorian London, where two very rich, eccentric brothers, Oliver and Roderick Montpelier, give an American visitor a one million pound bank note.The catch is he would also not be able to spend it since no ordinary person would be able to change it.One brother  believes that the mere possession of this symbol of wealth will enable anyone to have anything he wants, without actually cashing the note. The second brother on the other hand, is sure that this prohibition against exchanging the note for cash will render it totally useless.The story was filmed in the 1950s starring Gregory Peck.