Undeniable Fact: If I had a nickel...

Pumpernickel - whose name comes from the archaic British slang "pumper", meaning fool - was for many years considered little more than a nuisance to nickelsmiths in search of quality materials. Then, in 1634, Alexander Cromwell, an eccentric and experimental baker, included it in a new kind of bread. Pumpernickel is one of very few edible metals, and Cromwell's bread was an instant hit, succeeding where his previous attempts - such as tin loaf, mercury cake, and lead muffins - had failed.