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The proposed Prices,often differing exceedingly from those given in the Game-books, are based on real-world prices in medieval England and to some degree early medieval and late roman europe.

This assumption is based on the hypothesis that Middle-Earth's Currency or Money-system is based on the real world currency of medieval and late roman Britain:

  • Fourpenny (Silver) and similar coins (Kreuzer, Groten, Witten, Stüber etc.) = 4 pence (ca 64 cp))
  • 1 Denarius (Silver) = 1 penny (Silver) = 4 farthings or Sestertii (Bronze/Brass) (ca 16 cp)
  • 1 Sestertius = 4 Asses (Bronze/Copper) (ca 4 cp)
  • 1 As = 4 Quadrans ( Copper "Quarters") (ca 1 cp)

other medieval currencies:

  • carolingian pound (silver) = 240 Denarii or Pence (ca 64 cp)
  • 1 pound = 20 shillings (ca 4000 cp)
  • 1 mark = 13s 4d (ca 2500 cp)
  • 1 Ducat = nine shillings and four pence (ca 260 cp)
  • 1 crown = 5 shillings (ca 1000 cp)
  • 1 shilling = 12 pence (ca 200 cp)
  • 1 Heller (copper coin) = 2 Pence (ca 32 cp)

Barter-trade:

Within many cultures the basic currency were not regular coins but real assets such as a Slave, a Cow, a Horse or a Knife.In early medieval Ireland the basic units were seoit and Cumal:

  • 1 sét = 1 iron Dagger or a half Cow (ca. 130 cp)
  • 6 sét = 1 Cumal (Slave-girl) (ca. 800 cp)
  • 1 Cumal = 3-6 Cows = 3 ounces Silver = 7 years of Work done by a strong Woman = 6-8 Seoit = the seventh part of the wergild to pay for a Freeman

Metal values:

Of course metal values varied extremely throughout the ages and between regions.The following values are a theoretical standard used for calculating metal prices in late Arnor:

  • 1 ounce Mithril = 300 oz gold (120.000 cp)
  • Galnin = ca. 1.5 oz Gold (600 cp)
  • 1 ounce gold = ca.8 oz silver (400 cp)
  • 1 ounce silver = ca.0.125 oz gold = ca. 50 oz brass (8 cp)
  • 1 ounce brass = ca. 2 oz copper = ca. 0.02 oz silver (8 cp)
  • 1 ounce bronze = ca.25 oz brass = 12.5 oz copper (50 cp)
  • 1 ounce copper = ca. 0,5 oz brass = 2 oz tin (ca 4 cp)
  • 1 ounce tin = ca. 0.5 oz copper = (ca 2 cp)
  • 1 ounce Pewter =
  • 1 ounce zinc = 2.5 oz tin = 10 oz lead (ca 5 cp)
  • 1 ounce lead = 0.1 oz zinc (ca. 0.5 cp)
  • Mithgîn =


Food[]

Item MERP LOTR RPG LOTRO estimated price
light meal       1 cp
normal meal       2 cp
excellent meal       (12 cp)
hard tack /Sea bread, 1 week, 2,5 lbs       (50 cp)
Waybread, 1 month, 5 lbs       (200 cp)
cider, 1 pint,       3cp
berryjuice, 1 pint       2 cp
Ale, 1 pint       6 cp
Brandy, 1 pint       1 cp
Mead, 1 pint       2 cp
Milk, 1 pint       2 cp
Wine, 1 pint       12 cp
Tongkûn, 1 Barrel       (up to 1000 cp)
Egg, chicken       1 cp
grain, 100 l       200 cp according to need and quality (but up to 25 DD (!) In times of extreme need and bad harvests)
provisions, 1 week, 8lbs       32 cp
provisions for the road, 1 week, 14 lbs       64 cp


Item MERP LOTR RPG LOTRO estimated price
Simple quarter, one night       2 cp
Good quarter, one night       4 cp-
Exclusive quarter, one night       16 cp
         
         

Animals[]

Item MERP LOTR RPG LOTRO estimated price
Pony   3 sp 3 sp 46 cp = 3 sp (Hobbit Ponies seem to have been quite cheap in Breeland)
mule   3 sp 50 cp
donkey       32 sp
Horse, light       200 cp
Horse, medium       400 cp
Horse, heavy       500 cp
War horse, light       1200 cpp
War horse, great       10.000 cp
Camel       160 cp
Light oliphaunt       2240 sp - 88 Mirianath (ca. 40.000 cp)

traveling and vessels[]

Item MERP LOTR RPG LOTRO Estimated Price
Ferry, mile       8 cp (64 cp for a Horseman)
Coach, mile       5 cp
Small wain, 8 ft       500 cp
Boat, small, 10 ft       160 cp
Boat, medium, 20 ft       1000 cp
Boat, large, 30 ft       5000 cp
ship, cog       2.500.000 cp

ranged weapons[]

Item MERP LOTR RPG LOTRO estimated Price
Crossbow       100 cp
Composite bow       80 cp
Longbow       70 cp
Shortbow       40 cp
Sling       4 cp


Item MERP LOTR RPG LOTRO estimated Price
Arrows       50 cp (per dozen)
Bolts       80 cp (per dozen)

Blades[]

Item MERP LOTR RPG LOTRO estimated Price
Dagger, Long knife       140 cp
Broadsword       2000 cp
Longsword       3000 cp
Short Sword       700 cp
Scimitar       2000 cp
Two-handed sword       1500 cp

blunt weapons and pole-arms[]

Item MERP LOTR RPG LOTRO estimated Price
Bola       150 cp
Battle-axe, one handed       400 cp
Battle-axe, two handed       800 cp
Club       150 cp
Halberd / Poleaxe       400 cp
Lance       200 cp
Mace       300
Morning star       400 cp
Quarterstaff       16 cp
Spear       300 cp
Javelin       400
War-Flail       500 cp
War-hammer       350 cp
Net, Combat       70 sp
Whip       20 cp

Equipment[]

Item MERP LOTR RPG LOTRO Estimated Price
Quiver       12 cp
scabbard, shortblade       70 cp
scabbard, longblade/two handed       120 cp
Weapon Belt       60 cp
Pack, no frame       50 cp
back frame       80 cp
bag       6 cp
rope (50 ft)       10 cp
rope (160 ft)       30 cp
rope (50 ft), excellent       40 cp
skis       60 cp
bow drill       30 cp
picklock       30 cp
candle (1lb)       8 cp
torch       2 cp
lantern, metal       16 cp
oil flask       15 cp
glass bottle       12 cp
stitching-awl       4 cp
yarn       23 cp
flintstone/Cinder       4 cp
clamps/Rods       20 cp
pole/Picket       1 cp
waterskin/Goatskin/Wineskin       10 cp
duvet (Wool)       30 cp
canvas (5ft x 8 ft)       15 cp
large tent (4 persons))       100 cp
small tent (2 persons)       70 cp

Armour[]

|-

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Item MERP LOTR RPG LOTRO Estimated Price
arm braces, leather (Bracer/arm-guard)       20 cp
arm braces, metal (Vambrace/Forearm Guards)       40 cp
leg armour, leather       60 cp
leg armour, metal (Poleyn/Greave)       200 cp
leather armour       100 cp
studded leather (Brigandine)       300 cp
chain-mail (Hauberk)       2000 cp
plate-mail       1600 cp
helm, leather (Cap)       70 cp
helm, metal       160 cp
shield, normal       250 cp

Clothes[]

Item MERP LOTR RPG LOTRO Estimated Price
Belt       40 cp
Sandals       12 cp
Boots, normal, fine leather       40 cp
Boots, normal, rigid leather       60
Boots, high, fine leather       100 cp
Cap, simple       12 cp
Cap, fine       60 cp
Gloves, soft       90 cp
Gloves, rigid       60 cp
Shirt/Tunic       40 cp
tabard       120 cp
Jacket, simple       40 cp
Jacket, fur-lined       120 cp
Trousers       10 cp
Dress, simple       15 cp
Dress, fine       120 cp
Cloak, simple       20 cp
Cloak, fur-lined       300 cp
mantle       90 cp

Converting prices[]

The only actual price known from Middle-Earth is the price for a Pony in Breeland which was 3 silverpennies, so the value of a Pony/light Horse is generally a good aid to orientation for converting real-world to Middle-Earth prices.According to the History of Middle-Earth in Gondor a Tharni was a Silverfarthing, worth the fourth part of a Castar or Canath, a canath on the other hand was the fourth part of a Goldcoin known as the Mirian.

Still a stability in value should not be taken for granted, price fluctuations up to 400% were no rarity in medieval times, therefore conversion remains difficult.Even if the silverpenny in Breeland would have been equivalent in size and weight to a heavy historical coin such as the Thaler, it seems that the value of a silvercoin still must have been at last thrice of that of a silverpenny in late medieval britain, or the other way around the price for horses was only a third of what it would have been. Also gold, historically, most likely would have been 10 times as valuable as silver and silver ca. 20 times as valuable as Bronze or copper and 30 times as valuable as brass, there is no way far less valuable coins of brass or copper could have had the quarter value of a silver coin of the same size.So both must have had far graeter value in Middle-earth.

references[]

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