Buy A Big Mac At McDonald's Today, Get A MacCoin, Redeemable For Free Big Mac

AUG. 2 UPDATE: If you're reading this on Thursday and it's close to lunch time, the following is happening right now.

In 1967, an owner-operator of McDonald's outside Pittsburgh named Michael "Jim" Delligatti came up with a burger that featured two beef patties, a middle bun, cheese, pickles, lettuce, onions, and a Thousand Island-like sauce. He originally named it "Aristocrat" and "Blue Ribbon Burger," but an advertising agency thought a more catchy name would be Big Mac. The next year, in 1968, the burger was unveiled at McDonald's nationwide.

This year marks its 50th anniversary, and this Thursday, Aug. 2, 14,000 McDonald's nationwide (and 50 countries around the world) will be giving away a "MacCoin" if you buy a Big Mac. McDonald's says they'll be giving away 6.2 million MacCoin.

You can do one of two things with these MacCoins (which comes in five designs for each decade the Big Mac has been sold): You can keep it and use it as our new global currency once the dollar and Euro collapses, or starting on Friday, trade it in for a Big Mac. Basically it's a buy-one-get-one-free scheme. Neat.