money in middle earth - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Melilot Brandybuck · 02-10-2006, 04:34 AM

I just wondered, as I am re-reading FoTR, does the Shire mint its own money? There are quite a few references to money at the beginning. I believe Bilbo hands out a few pennies to children hanging around near BagEnd before his party. Frodo worries about the small amount of money he is carrying when he first suspects Aragorn of being a rogue. They pay the apparently astounding amount of 12 silver pennies for Bill the Pony, and then Butterbur pays Merry 18 silver pennies for the loss of Merry's ponies.

(IMO, I don't think it was fair of Merry to accept Butterbur's money. After all, it was due to the presence of the hobbits that the inn was attacked in the first place. They were all fully aware that the animals were taken to hinder their departure. Not only did Butterbur reimburse Merry, but he would have been honor-bound to reimburse the owners of the other horses that were missing. He's lucky they were later returned to him - bar one - but he wouldn't have known that at the time.)

But back to my original query. Is this money only valid in the Shire? Is the value of silver the same throughout ME? It just makes me wonder about the economy of the Shire. I would have thought that if there is a Mint, there is a Treasury and all the offices that go with it.

02-10-2006, 04:34 AM	#1
Melilot Brandybuck Animated Skeleton Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 35	money in middle earth I just wondered, as I am re-reading FoTR, does the Shire mint its own money? There are quite a few references to money at the beginning. I believe Bilbo hands out a few pennies to children hanging around near BagEnd before his party. Frodo worries about the small amount of money he is carrying when he first suspects Aragorn of being a rogue. They pay the apparently astounding amount of 12 silver pennies for Bill the Pony, and then Butterbur pays Merry 18 silver pennies for the loss of Merry's ponies. (IMO, I don't think it was fair of Merry to accept Butterbur's money. After all, it was due to the presence of the hobbits that the inn was attacked in the first place. They were all fully aware that the animals were taken to hinder their departure. Not only did Butterbur reimburse Merry, but he would have been honor-bound to reimburse the owners of the other horses that were missing. He's lucky they were later returned to him - bar one - but he wouldn't have known that at the time.) But back to my original query. Is this money only valid in the Shire? Is the value of silver the same throughout ME? It just makes me wonder about the economy of the Shire. I would have thought that if there is a Mint, there is a Treasury and all the offices that go with it. __________________ The original and best Mel B