Traipahni numbers and money.

[fayanora]

So, I got some help from Brooke in figuring out how to convert between bases 10 and 6, because Traipah's math system is base 6. I haven't rigorously tested it yet, but I think I have it understood

Comments

[christinathena]

1, 2, and 3 would be odd, since that would have a coin (3) that's 1.5 times the value of the next-smaller coin (2). My preference would be (written in base-6) either 1, 2, 10, 20, 100, 200, etc. or 1, 3, 10, 30, etc. Thus, each coin is exactly 2 or 3 times the size of the next smaller denomination. Similar to how the predecimal British system, with 1 shilling = 12 pence, had 1d, 3d, 6d, and 1 shilling (or, in medieval times, 1d, 2d, and 4d, then 1 shilling).

[fayanora]

I dunno. I see what you mean, but I like both twos and threes. I'll give it some thought.

[christinathena]

Also "Oh crap! I hadn't even thought about money less than $1. Maybe those will be something else, like paper. I've seen paper pennies. Hell, I have a paper Chinese penny. Yeah, I think the ones less than $1 will be paper." - there's a reason most currencies use coins for small values and paper for large. In fact, the only ones that use paper for small denominations are A) those that have undergone a lot of inflation and never adjusted (or are currently in high inflation) or B) those that have temporarily eliminated coins for reasons of metal shortages (for example, the use of 3 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent, 25 cent, and 50 cent bills in the US during the Civil War). Paper is, in the long term, more expensive than coins. It's cheaper in the short term to produce a paper bill than to produce a coin, but a coin lasts a LOT longer than a bill, so in the long run, you end up spending more money making paper bills than coins, making it rather counterproductive to make small denominations be paper

[fayanora]

10,000 in base six is 1,296 in decimal. What's their currency worth in US dollars?

I have no idea. The future this takes place in is around the year 3100 AD, and Terran territories use "credits." And to be honest, I don't know how to determine the worth of their money outside their planet. The Traipahni economy has long been post-scarcity, and became even more so after first contact with humans and other races. They all know their economy is just a big game, a habit they maintain for no real significant reason, and they know their money has no more inherent worth than Monopoly money. This knowledge gives their economy more stability than the economies of people who take economics seriously, but since even the Traipahni people themselves know that, ultimately, their money has no real worth... true that no money has inherent value, I know, but I have no idea how people outside Traipah would view this laid-back approach to economics, or how it would affect their money's worth on other planets.

That's not necessarily important if the

PS

[fayanora]

Come to think of it, square or diamond shaped coins might be easier to carve from ironwood and stonewood than round coins. And in some ways, square coins would stack more easily.

[christinathena]

Also, why the inconsistent use of 2 in your denominations? You have $2 and $20 but no $200, and you have 20-cent but not 2-cent. Surely such a logical culture would use a consistent pattern. :-)

(For example, real-world examples, the Euro has coins of 1c, 2c, 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, 1 euro, 2 euro and bills of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, so a constant 1, 2, 5 pattern; the Yen has coins of 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500 and bills of 1000, 5000, and 10,000 for a consistent 1,5 pattern (there was a commemorative 2,000-yen bill issued in the year 2000 but it never took off))

[fayanora]

Also, why the inconsistent use of 2 in your denominations? You have $2 and $20 but no $200, and you have 20-cent but not 2-cent. Surely such a logical culture would use a consistent pattern. :-)

Damn, I didn't notice that. Hmm... I guess I'll have to either add $200 and 2c, or remove all 2's. But I like the twos. I'll have to look at that aspect of the patterning again.