Game in the Brain

A Game’s Money System is meant to express economic “reach” of a character. In many simulation games, the attempt to reflect this serves to aid the player in understanding the character’s options. This is both useful as both a role-playing and strategic aspect.

This one of my favorite aspects of GURPS, it is their attempt to define assumptions and allow for a way to use their system to achieve this level of immersion and challenge.

The best way to find out about how to convert GURPS 2004 $ value to medieval prices is to study and compare standards of living in these eras. Ideally you take the middle class, which is defined for this purpose as the most lowest class that can advance up to the highest ranks of a given society.

These prices are based on food availability, it assumes that it costs about $1 for a 1lb meal at source prices. Source prices means, it is taken as close to the source of raw materials and with the least amount of cost to make. This is typically the cost of a household to produce the food or that of a close neighbor’s price.

note: $960-$900 is enough to buy 1 years worth of wheat

1lb of Bread and some protein or fat (typically cheese) = $1.2

1 Peck = 1 modius = 2 gallons = 7.5L = 15lbs of wheat = $8 at source = used to produce 15 lbs of bread.

1 Bushel = 4 pecks = 4 modii = 8 gallons = 60L = 60lbs of wheat = $32 at source

1 Quarter = 8 Bushels = 32 modii = 64 gallons = 242L = 480lbs of wheat (roughly 1 acre of wheat) = $256 at source (close to the value of 6 Sou, 1 solidus, 1 electrum)

In Game Inflation. serves a purpose to reflect diminishing options caused by inflation. To a GM or Player, these are times when the Sh*t hit the fan and there is skyrocketing prices of goods that create problems (or opportunities depending on where you are looking from). Simply adjust the cost of goods upward. At the same time, the cost of other goods might go down (like luxury non-food goods in these times).

Roman Reconquest (early 6C), Justinian Era

Solidus	S	$288	1/72 lb of purest gold
Folles	f	$1	1/25 lb of bronze
2 Nummiae	n	$0.05	1/460 lb of bronze

Byzantine Dark Ages (8C-11C),

Nomisma	N	$288	1/72 lb of purest gold
Miliaresia	m	$24	1/144 lb of silver
Folles	f	$1	1/40 lb of bronze

First Crusades (early 11C), Alexius Era

Hyperpyron	H	$900	1/72 lb of purest gold
Electrum	e	$300	1/113 lb of alloyed silver and gold
Billon	b	$20	1/72 lb of silver
Tetrateron	t	$1	1/72 lb of copper
Noummion	n	$0.5	1/144 lb of copper

Early Medieval (9C), Carolingian Era

Livre	L	$960	1lb bar of Silver
Sou	s	$48	1/240 lbs of Gold
Denier	d	$4	1/240 lb of silver
Farthing	f	$1	1/240 lb of copper

A Pfenning is equal to a Denier, a groschen is equal to a Sou, and a florin is equal to a Livre. This is from darklands, 15C germany.

GURPS Fantasy Default

Gold Piece	gp	$80	1/240 lbs of Gold
Silver Piece	sp	$4	1/240 lb of silver
Copper Farthing	f	$1	1/240 lb of copper

Mahadlika (19C)

Peseta	P	$20	1/18 lbs of Silver
Real	r	$2.5	1/144 lbs of Silver
Escudo	c	$0.5	1/144 lb of copper

Dr. Kenneth W. Harl’s byzantine studies syllabus is a great start in learning how to figure out these basic economic data.