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I've been reading FotR again and was wondering: where did Merry (1) find six ponies for sale, (2) acquire the money for the purchase, (3) buy the six ponies without raising any suspicion and (4) find six ponies for sale in the first place? Here's a little of what we know from three chapters in FotR:

Originally Posted by A Conspiracy Unmasked

There are six ponies in a stable across the fields;

Originally Posted by The Old Forest

In their shed they found the ponies; sturdy little beasts of the kind loved by hobbits, not speedy, but good for a long day's work.

Originally Posted by Strider

But thirty silver pennies was a sore blow to him,

So we know that Merry had six ponies at Crickhollow, that they were goodly beasts (not ragtag like Bill) and, when Barliman Butterbur makes recompense for the lost/stolen ponies at the Prancing Pony, he shells out a total of 30 silver pennies (12 to Bill Ferny for Bill; 18 more to Merry). If this is a large sum for Butterbur, where did Merry get said cash?